Giving Love Another Chance
by SailorStar9
Summary: I’m re-writing this fic since I can’t find Duel Masters *anywhere* on Youtube. Ami has a past with the Green Four Team before she left. Now, she returns after receiving a plea from the late Yuya to help Kouya. ARC 1: Crush Gear Turbo. ARC 2: Sailor Moon.
1. ARC 1: Prologue

SailorStar9: It's official, I'm re-writing this fic since I can't find Duel Masters *anywhere* on Youtube. *Mutters profanities under her breath*

Timeline:

Sailor Moon: After Beryl before the girls get their memories back.

Crush Gear Turbo: Episode 1

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except the pairing, I hope.

Pairing:

Koroudo/Ami

Possible Kouya/Kaoru

Summary: Ami has a past with the Green Four Team before she left. Now, she returns after receiving a plea from the late Yuya to help Kouya.

Prologue

* * *

_Memory Sequence_

_Ami raised her head from the computer screen when she heard the office's door open._

_Kazuya Shichigawa wobbled into the office, supported by Hiroshi Washida and Mitsuke Ohmori._

"_Dare I ask what happened?" Ami raised an eyebrow._

"_I think it's kinda of obvious." Kazuya hissed as pain radiated around his body._

"_You sprained your ankle." Ami noted._

"_Brilliant observation." Kazuya retorted coldly._

"_Boys." Ami rolled her eyes._

"_Kyou-chan, get ice from the freezer in the pantry." she told the Gear Master._

"_On it." Jin replied and hurried off._

"_You three, get him to the sickbay." Ami instructed told the rest of the team. "Koro-kun, get the first aid kit."_

"_Don't call me Koro-kun!" Koroudo protested as they heaved Kazuya to the sickbay, the other three snickering._

"_How did _this_ happen?" Ami growled, the four uninjured crush gear fighters parting to let her treat the patient._

_Kazuya sat up from the bed then shrugged his shoulders._

_Ami's eyes darkened with anger as she took the ice pack from Jin. This was not the first time that one of the boys was hurt in practice. The first time was when Hiroshi had dislocated his shoulder. The freaking coach didn't even lift a finger to help Hiroshi but just barked an order of rest._

"_Let me guess," Ami growled in angry. She knelt in front of Kazuya and began snipping the rubber shoe off the injured ankle with a pair of scissors Jin handed to her. "You broke your ankle yet coach just ordered you to rest."_

_Kazuya hissed again as Ami pulled the remaining parts of the shoe away from his foot. "You could say that."_

_The rest of the team remained silent as Ami carefully snipped the socks then tenderly placed the ice pack in her hand on the ankle before wrapping it with bandages._

"_I repeat, how did _this_ happen?" Ami hissed._

_The boys didn't answer. To answer would mean another sniping verbal war between their coach and Ami._

"_It's not broken, just sprained." Kazuya spoke._

"_You didn't answer my question." Ami's tone of voice held underlying anger, this time her glare turning to the rest of the team._

_Jin, Hiroshi and Mitsuke looked at each other, then at Koroudo, the blond silently warning them to shut up. _

_Ami looked at the boys with suspicious eyes. "What's going on?" _

_Mitsuke evaded Koroudo's eyes then looked at the girl. He laughed nervously. "Well you see, Ames, I sorta messed up." he lied with a whisper. _

_Ami looked expectantly for Mitsuke to continue._

_Mitsuke felt a prickle of guilt. He really didn't want to lie. But they had pretty much agreed amongst each other that they had enough of screaming matches for the month._

"_I was the one who broke Kazuya's ankle." Mitsuke replied._

_Ami opened her mouth to say something but thought the better of it. She shook her head and sighed as she walked back to the office._

"_You're a lousy liar." Kazuya taunted Mitsuke coldly. _

"_Shit! I was feeling guilty!" Mitsuke exclaimed._

"_It's for her own good." Jin noted quietly._

"_Have you ever lied to your mother, Kyousuke?" Mitsuke glared at the Gear Master. _

"_No. And Ami is not our mother." Jin pointed out._

"_Not biologically," Mitsuke retorted with a growl. "She's been taking care of the lot of us since she entered the club."_

_The rest of the team remained silent._

_Mitsuke heaved a sigh. "I feel like a monster every time I lie to her."_

_Kazuya closed his eyes. He felt the same. Though Ami was the club's official administrator, the blue-haired girl had been more than that. Somehow in her own gentle and caring way, she had wormed her way into their hearts without them noticing._

* * *

At that, Ami snapped open her eyes.

"Idiot." she muttered as the train screeched to a stop at the station. "One year and I still can't forget them."

"Guess they affected me too." she noted amusedly as she got off.

The split second she stepped off the platform, she came face to face to the last person she wanted to see, Koroudo Marume.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	2. ARC 1: The Spirit of Gear Fighting

SailorStar9: The prologue goes up. This is Chapter 1.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 1: The Burning Spirit of Gear Fighting

* * *

_Dream Sequence_

"_Ladies and gentlemen, the final game for the very first Gear-fighting World Championship is about to begin." the announcer declared. "In the Blue Zone, we have the Asian Cup Champion Yuya Marino. And in the Red Zone, the European Cup Champion, Harry Gamble. Gear fighters, ready? Go!"_

_At the command, the two adversaries released their crush gears, the two gears crashing with each other in the middle of the stadium._

* * *

At that, Kouya woke up to the sound of the TV.

"The news board of the Crush Gear fighting has recently taken the world by storm and on top of this wave of excitement, is the new, hot sensation:Takeshi Manganji. He's the only son of the founder of the Manganji Engineering Group; famous for designing and building parts of airplanes and spacecrafts. The Manganji Group is currently..." the newscaster reported.

"Kouya." Mrs. Marino peered at her son. "I thought you had an important game down at the club this morning."

"The games doesn't start till ten." Kouya replied.

"But it's ten-thirty." Mrs. Marino reminded.

* * *

In Kouya's room...

"Oh man..." Kouya whined as he hurried to prepare. "Where are my batteries? Oh, got them. And this one too." he grabbed Battle Hawk

"Yuya," he told his late brother's picture confidently. "I promise I'll get on the team today."

"I'm so late!" he hurried to the Tobita Crush Gear Club.

* * *

Outside the Tobita Crush Gear Club...

"Check it out." one of the spectators remarked. "There's a great gear over here, guys!"

Takeshi looked on uninterested as a Crush Gear clashed onto the plastic wall.

"Lightning Beetle's out of the ring!" Momita declared. "So, the winner is Igoroshi! Welcome to the team!"

"Oh right!" Igoroshi whooped.

"What should we do, Takeshi?" Gomano asked. "Gusui ready to to play Kouya, but he's still not here. Should we disqualify him?"

"Just wait a little bit longer." Lilika pleaded. "Kouya will definitely be here, I'm sure of it."

Takeshi nodded.

"I'm not going to wait any longer." he remarked when the clock struck eleven. "Kouya's disqualified."

"Come on, Takeshi." Lilika begged. "Give the kid a chance. Why don't you let another pair play first or something?"

"No way." Gomano replied. "If this was an official game, Kouya'll be disqualified for sure. Besides, the owner says no one can be late."

"The owner said that?" Lilika asked.

"Some punishment will straighten Kouya Marino out." Takeshi added. "He needs to shape up. He's got to be responsible. Afterall, he is the brother of the Asian Champion. Some day, he'll head up this club."

"Hey!" Tetsuya started, looking at Kouya sneaking behind him.

"Hey Kouya!" Gomano spotted the younger Marino.

"Yeah?" Kouya straightened up.

"Get over here!" Gomano barked.

"Right away!" Kouya hurried over.

"Do you know how long we have been waiting for you?" Gomano pressed.

"I'm sorry." Kouya apologized. "I slept in."

"Just because your brother was the champion doesn't mean you can do whatever you want." Gomano snapped.

"I didn't mean to be late, Gomano." Kouya protested. "I just..."

"You what?" Gomano snapped.

"He was just fetching me from the train station." Ami cut in, having somehow gotten away from her ex-boyfriend.

"It's been a while, Lilika." she nodded over the older girl.

"Ami?" Lilika blinked.

"Kouya, you're disqualified and that's final." Gomano snapped.

"But, you can't..." Kouya protested.

"Today's games decide who gets on the team, Kouya." Lilika reminded. "Promise me, you'll never be late for something important again."

"I promise, Lilika." Kouya replied.

"Your brother was our greatest player." Gomano added. "I don't understand what happened to you."

"Okay, I think he's got the point now." Takeshi replied. "Lilika, I'm going to play Kouya in this game."

"Huh?" Lilika blinked.

"How about it, Kouya?" Takeshi asked. "If you want to get on the team, play me."

"What?" Kouya blinked, the rest of the crowd echoing their disbelief.

"But you don't have to win, Kouya." Takeshi added. "If your gear can last just one minute in the ring, then I'll let you on the team."

"Seriously?" Kouya gaped. "I'll do it! Thanks Takeshi. I really appreciate it."

"Here Takeshi." Gomano presented the Manganji heir his Crush Gear. "Do you want the stats on Kouya's gear?"

"I don't need them." Takeshi replied. "Now, go and set up my Gougetsu for me, would ya?"

"Sure." Gomano replied.

"Man, this is going to be over so fast." one of the spectators remarked. "Kouya's going to get his butt kicked."

"I can't believe Kouya's playing Takeshi." his friend added. "His brother was the Asian Champion though."

"Kouya!" Takeshi shouted from the other side of the ring. "You ready to play?"

"Yeah, ready when you are." Kouya replied.

"Gear fight, Round One, set up!" Gomano declared. "Ready go!"

Kouya released Battle Hawk just as Takeshi released Gougetsu.

"Too fast!" Kouya gaped at Gougetsu's speed.

"He's out of there." one of the spectators remarked as the Gougetsu clashed Battle Hawk into the wall, Kouya's gear rebouncing back into the ring.

"Still in!" Kouya remarked.

"You're a lucky boy, Kouya." Takeshi noted.

"Man, that Gougetsu can move." Kouya looked at Takeshi's rampaging gear. Gougetsu then sent Battle Hawk clashing onto the wall again before continuing its relentless assault on Battle Hawk, forcing Battle Hawk against the ring side.

"Go Battle Hawk!" Kouya hollered.

"Looks like this will be over pretty soon." Takeshi remarked.

Lilika gasped when Gougetsu broke free from Battle Hawk.

"Go for it!" Kouya cheered. "Come on Battle Hawk!"

At his cry, Battle Hawk sent Gougetsu flying upwards into the plastic wall.

"I won?" Kouya was stunned. "I won!"

"I won!" he whooped.

"I won!" he ran out of the club joyously. "I won! I can't believe it!"

"Hey Lilika." Takeshi greeted her. "You wanted to see me?"

"Tell me something, Takeshi."Lilika started.

"Why did you just lose on purpose?" Ami asked Lilika's question.

"On purpose?" Takeshi raised an eyebrow at the former Green Four Team administrator.

"Do not make me repeat myself." Ami retorted. "I'll say you let Kouya win. For some reason, you threw the game."

"Why did Kouya go?" one of the kids eavesdropping outside the door asked.

"Oh, he went home." Tetsuya replied. "He said he could wait to tell his mom."

"Why did you do that for?" Lilika pressed.

"I guess I was trying to say something." Takeshi replied.

"Oh yes?" Ami pressed.

"Yeah, from this moment on, I don't want to have anything to do with this club." Takeshi replied.

"Well, now I guess I know why Yuya wanted me back." Ami noted as Lilika gasped at Takeshi's statement.

* * *

"Mom!" Kouya burst into the _La Mére de Marino_.

"Back already, Kouya?" Mrs. Marino inquired.

"I won! I beat Takeshi Manganji! I made it to the team!" Kouya gushed.

"That's my boy." Mrs. Marino noted. "I knew you won't have any trouble at all."

"Thanks, mom." Kouya beamed.

"Now, since you've done so well, here's some little treat." Mrs. Marino presented Kouya a sundae.

"Wow, what is it?" Kouya blinked.

"Try it and see." Mrs Marino beamed.

"Am I supposed to eat this thing?" Kouya asked.

Mrs Marino answered by knocking him on the head with her tray when the phone rang.

"Hello,_ La Mére de Marino_, this is Mrs Marino speaking." Mrs. Marino answered the phone. "Kouya? Yes, who's calling please? Just hold on."

"Kouya, it's Tetsuya for you." she handed the phone to her son.

"Hey there Tetsuya!" Kouya beamed. "Right. They all quit? What do you mean by that? Everybody? Everybody's quit!?"

As the thunder roared in, Kouya rushed back to the club to see Lilika and Ami looking at Yuya's photo.

"Everybody just quit the club, Kouya." Lilika informed him. "I'm sorry to tell you, but you're the only one left."

"You're kidding, aren't you?" Kouya asked.

"Sorry, especially after all the hard work we put in." Ami apologized. "But with only one member, we can't enter the tournament."

"But what happened to everybody else?" Kouya asked.

"All of them went to join Takeshi's new club." Lilika supplied.

"Takeshi's new club?" Kouya echoed.

"He set it up earlier on today." Lilika replied. "He's telling everyone he's going to use it to enter the tournament. Takeshi turned down his crush gear so that you can win against him. I'm really sorry, Kouya."

_Why?_ Kouya questioned himself as he ran out of the club. _Why would Takeshi do that?_

"Well, what do you want, Kouya?" Takeshi asked opening the door of his house.

"I'm begging you, Takeshi." Kouya pleaded. "We really need you back at the Tobita Club."

"Well, well, I just quit the club this morning and you're already begging." Takeshi mocked.

"Please Takeshi." Kouya implored. "Without any members, the club can't enter the tournament."

"You beat the great Takeshi. Form your own club." Takeshi scoffed.

"You lost on purpose!" Kouya snapped. "You tricked me!"

"Tricked you?" Takeshi echoed. "Okay then, why don't I come clean. The Tobita Crush Gear Club is still controlled by your dead brother. Everyone in that club is totally obsessed with Yuya Marino. And I'm sick and tired of it."

"Now you know, Kouya." Gomano snorted. "So get out of here already!"

"Wait!" Kouya begged. "Please Takeshi! Come back to the club!"

"Oh, give it up!" Gomano pushed Kouya off the stairs.

"I'm on my knees!" Kouya implored. "I"m begging you, Takeshi. You have to come back to the Tobita Club now. You have to."

"You don't get it." Takeshi scolded. "Let me tell you something, Kouya. A street club like Tobita means nothing to me. We're living in two different world. You really get on my nerves, Kouya. You don't care about anything. Your life is about games and practices. You don't deserve to be called a gear fighter. At least your brother was there, people felt like they were part of something good. But with you there, nobody wants to be part of it. Now you know why we left, cos you don't have what it takes to be a crush gear fighter."

"So, if you'll excuse us, Kouya, we've got a club opening party to organize." Gomano mocked. "Now get out of here! Have fun playing crush gear in the sandbox."

"Get up!" Ami barked.

"Ami-neechan..." Kouya looked at the girl he had always looked up as an elder sister.

"Do you think Yuya would want you to do this?" Ami snapped.

"Begging _him_?" she glared at Takeshi.

"Are you really going to let Yuya's hopes and dreams die just like that?" she pressed.

"You have the spark and Yuya's passion for the crush gear." she added gently.

"Something that _they_ don't have!" she glared at the wide-eyed Takeshi and his lackeys.

"She's right, you know." Lilika agreed behind them under an umbrella. "That was brave. Thanks Kouya."

After escorting Kouya back to his apartment, she walked off.

In Kouya's room, he recalled a conversation with Yuya.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Hey, look Kouya." Yuya showed him his gear. "I designed it specially for the World Championships. What do you think of it?"_

"_It's awesome." Kouya gushed. "You made it yourself? What are you going to call it?"_

"_Garuda Eagle." Yuya replied._

"_Garuda Eagle?" Kouya echoed._

"_I haven't shown it to anybody yet." Yuya replied. "You're the first one to see it, Kouya."_

"_A secret?" Kouya beamed._

"_That's right, a secret." Yuya replied._

"_Garuda Eagle's definitely going to win." Kouya remarked. "You'll be the World Champion, Yuya."_

"_You bet. That's a promise." Yuya replied._

"_These are the mementos of your brother." Mr. Tobita told the young Kouya. "Take good care of them._

"_Oh Yuya." Kouya muttered, peering through the closed cabinet window._

* * *

Decided, Kouya took Garuda Eagle and headed for the Manganji Industrial Building.

* * *

In the Manganji Industrial Building's hall...

"Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the Manganji Crush Gear club opening party, marking a new beginning to the Crush Gear era." the emcee started. "Now please, welcome the Group Chairman, Mr. Manganji himself."

"Congratulations Takeshi." Mr. Manganji told his son. "I declare the Manganji Group Crush Gear Club officially open. Now it's your turn to conquer the world like I have."

"Well, thanks a lot dad." Takeshi replied. "I'll do my best. I won't disappoint you or the Manganji."

"And now Takeshi Manganji will demonstrate his gear fighting skills in an exhibition game." the emcee remarked. "His opponent will be last year's French crush gear champion, Bernard Escaula!"

"Wait, stop!" Kouya cut in.

"Hey, I don't remember inviting you here!" Takeshi frowned.

"Listen to me! I came here to challenge you in a Gear Fight! No cheating! Just you and I!" Kouya challenged.

"Get out of here!" Takeshi snapped.

"Wait, Takeshi. This kid seems serious about what he's saying." Mr. Manganji intervened. "What's your name, boy?"

"I'm Kouya Marino!" Kouya retorted.

"Marino?" Mr. Manganji echoed.

"Papa, he's the younger brother of Yuya Marino, the Asian Champion." Takeshi supplied.

"Oh yes, I remember; Yuya Marino was a very skilled Gear Fighter. Nobody could defeat him before. Takeshi, why don't you accept his challenge?"Mr. Manganji asked.

"But papa..." Takeshi protested.

"You heard what he said. No cheating. Go, get ready for your match." Mr. Manganji snapped.

"Yes, papa." Takeshi sighed. "Alright, Kouya! I accept your challenge! Prepare to lose!"

* * *

Scene change to the unfinished arena, with Kouya and Takeshi in their respective places.

"This is the official fighting arena of the Manganji Group Crush Gear club; it's just not finished yet. The name written at the middle is that of my grandfather. His soul envelopes the whole arena."Takeshi remarked. "Scared? That's good, at least you can concentrate on our fight... unless of course you're afraid of heights!"

"Who says I'm scared? I have my brother's soul to keep me company!" Kouya retorted.

"Let's start!" Takeshi noted.

"Hyaaaaa!" Kouya roared.

"Get ready!" Takeshi called.

"Garuda Eagle!" Kouya brandished Yuya's gear.

"Gougetsu!" Takeshi revealed his gear.

The battle started as the two released their gears.

"What!" Takeshi gasped when the two gears met each other head-on.

"No way!" even Kouya was stunned.

"Get ready --- Gougetsu! Hey, a head-on crash!" Takeshi grinned. "

"He stopped it!" he gaped. "I don't believe it!"

"Go, Garuda Eagle! Push!" Kouya cheered.

_What kind of Gear is he using?_ Takeshi wondered.

In the midst of the battle, Garuda Eagle got damaged from the inside. It wobbled off, allowing the Gougetsu to attack, which the Garuda Eagle fended off and the battle resumed.

"Faster! Tackle him out of the arena!" Takeshi roared.

"No!" Kouya exclaimed in horror.

"What happened?!" Takeshi gasped when Gougetsu was thrown off the arena into the sky. Garuda Eagle then used the arena as leverage and smashed into the falling Gougetsu. Takeshi managed to catch his returning gear with much accuracy. The Garuda Eagle, however...

"Wait, Garuda Eagle!" Kouya took off after the falling gear, managing to catch it before losing his balance and falling off.

"Kouya!" Takeshi shouted.

Jirou managed to grab the falling Kouya on time, saving his life. The former baseball player pulled Kouya up.

"Thank you" Kouya wheezed.

"Hey!" he shouted as Takeshi made his way inside the helicopter. "Wait a minute! This battle isn't over yet, Takeshi!"

"No, it's finished! If you want a rematch, try your best to get in the tournament!" Takeshi corrected.

"You're a coward, Takeshi! Get back here! I said get back here, Takeshi! Coward!" Kouya hollered as the helicopter took off. "I'm going to defeat you! You'll see, Takeshi! We'll meet again! I'll show you that I'm a good Gear Fighter!"

The scene faded off with the Manganji's helicopter flying into the night sky and leaving Kouya on his own on the rooftop.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done. Read and review.


	3. ARC 1: Find the Red Bean Bun Fighter

SailorStar9: Chapter 1 goes up. This is Chapter 2.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 2: Find the Red Bean Bun Fighter

* * *

The next day, Lilika and her mother were in the Tobita clubhouse, in the process of putting everything away for its closure.

"Do we really have to do this?" Mrs. Tobita asked. "We haven't told your dad yet."

"I thought about that too, mom." Lilika replied. "But dad has so much to do, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Resting a hand on Yuya's picture, she added, "Yuya... please understand... I don't want this to happen, but..."

The door then opened and Kouya entered.

"Hello, good mornin.g" Kouya greeted. "Hey, what are you doing? Why are you removing my brother's poster? Phew, I'm glad I came to stop you from doing that!"

"Forgive us, Kouya." Mrs. Tobita apologized. "But we have to close the Tobita Crush Gear clubhouse now."

"What?!" Kouya exclaimed.

"You're the only member left and it's impossible for us to continue." Lilika explained.

"No, please don't do it! I'm going to think of something!" Kouya pleaded. "I'm going to find new members! Please!"

"You're going to look for new members? But how are you going to do that?" Lilika asked.

"Don't worry about it, leave it to me!" Kouya told her. "Just wait here, I'll be back with new members! Please don't close the club!"

"I'll be back, promise!" he shouted and closed the door.

"Well, he does have Yuya's determination." Ami noted at the office's door.

* * *

On the street...

Having rushing out, Kouya then walked around town when he saw Kaoru nearby with a bunch of kids.

"Oh brother... what have I gotten myself into?"Kouya muttered. "I talk too much, that's why! Who in the world would want to join a club with only one member?!"

"Hey, what are you doing?!" Kaoru scolded. "You're older than them!"

_Oh no, it's Kaoru!_ Kouya grimaced._ Great, she's going to pick on me again... I hope she doesn't notice me!_

_Not this way... don't look this way... _He begged as he tried to sneak past, shielding his face, but...

"Where are you going, Kouya? Are you just going to walk past me like that?" Kaoru barked.

"No, that's not it, I'm just in a hurry!" Kouya stammered.

"Then don't be! Help me out with these kids here!" Kaoru snapped.

"Are you sure about that?" Kouya asked.

"Of course I am!"Kaoru retorted. "And look at what he has with him! He took these kids' Crush Gear! Since you're in fifth grade, you talk some sense into him!"

Kouya pulled the younger boy aside.

"Listen to me... don't wait 'till she gets mad. She bites, you know." he whispered.

The boy nodded and scurried back to the others.

"Here's your Crush Gear! Thank you, bye!" he returned the machine to the two younger boys.

"Take care!" Kouya replied.

"Kouya, what did you tell that kid about me?" Kaoru growled.

"Um, nothing, Kaoru." Kouya replied.

"Thanks for your help!" the first kid turned to the two.

"You're welcome." Kaoru smiled.

"Let's go home now." the second kid replied.

"Okay!" the bespectacled kid noted.

With the kids out of earshot, Kouya told the girl beside him, "Um, Kaoru?"

"Yes, what is it?" Kaoru asked.

"Next time, don't involve me in your quest to help the oppressed, okay?" Kouya requested.

"Why not?" Kaoruasked.

"Because... I'm scared." Kouya admitted.

"Hey, wait a minute, I heard that the Tobita Club is going to close down because all of its members moved to the Manganji Club." Kaorupointed out as they continued their way. "Is it true?"

"Yes, it's true." Kouya replied.

"Oh, and have you heard of the name Jirou Oriza?" Kaoru asked.

"Jirou Oriza?" Kouya echoed. "No, why?"

"Really?" Kaoru noted. "Strange... you see, I heard that he's already a skilled Gear Fighter."

"Jirou's a Gear Fighter?" Kouya echoed. "What else do you know about him?"

"He just moved in with his family from a nearby town. The bad news is, Takeshi wants to include him in his club." Kaoru continued.

"What?" Kouya exclaimed. "But is he really going to join?"

"He hasn't joined yet." Kaoru corrected.

"That's good." Kouya noted.

"According to what I've written here, he has a special move called the Hurricane Crush, and..." Kaoru added.

"Wait, he has his own special move?" Kouya cut in.

"He likes to eat red bean buns!" Kaoru added.

"Red bean buns?!" Kouya echoed.

"His favorite!" Kaoru replied. "I even heard that he can eat 30 of it in 30 minutes! But he's ashamed of that record so he doesn't tell people about it --- a secret, they say, but most people know about it anyway! Oh, I'm already an assistant manager of a Gear Fighting club!"

"What did you say? Assistant manager?" Kouya echoed. "Of what club?"

"None other than the Tobita Club!" Kaoru beamed.

"Why didn't anyone tell me about it?" Kouya frowned.

"Well, nobody knows about that yet... I'm the one who actually appointed myself!" Kaoru grinned. "So now, there's a new member of the Tobita Club, you better thank me for that!"

"Terrific." Kouya muttered.

* * *

At Jirou's school...

After Jirou returned Kouya's invitation letter, a fuming Kouya started hollering in the school compound.

"It's you." Jirou blinked, when he found who he had grabbed. "You're the one who wrote that invitation?"

"How did you know me?" Kouya grimaced.

"I was the one who saved you at the Manganji Building." Jirou reminded him

"Oh, it was you!" Kouya noted.

"If I knew you were like that, I wouldn't have rescued you!" Jirou retorted as he tossed Kouya to the ground. "Now I know why nobody wants to join your club; it's because of your attitude! Get out of here!"

"He's the one who saved my life..." Kouya noted. "I should think of something else..."

* * *

Back in his room, Kouya smashed his piggy bank after much hesitation.

With a bag of red bean buns in hand, he then paid a visit to Jirou's house and was invited inside by Jirou's mother.

* * *

In front of Jirou's house...

"Jirou's not home yet, he's still at school." Mrs. Oriza informed the visitor through the intercom.

"That's okay, I'll just wait for him." Kouya replied.

"So, you're my son's new friend?" Mrs. Oriza asked as she placed a glass of orange juice on the table. "Don't worry, he'll be here in a while."

"For Jirou, ma'am. Red bean buns." Kouya presented the bag. "He saved my life, you see."

"That's so nice of you!" Mrs. Oriza beamed. "Thank you very much!"

"Oh! So many trophies!" Kouya blinked at the medals in the living room.

"Those?" Mrs. Oriza chuckled. "He won those back when he was still playing baseball."

"Really?" Kouya blinked "I didn't know he was a baseball player before."

"He has more trophies in his room." Mrs. Oriza added. "Do you want to see them?"

"Wow! I bet he's a really good player!" Kouya gushed "But... I wonder why he stopped playing baseball and chose Crush Gear instead?"

"Oh no, Takeshi's companion!" Kouya gasped when a car pulled over outside.

"I'm a representative of Takeshi Manganji." Gomano started just as Kouya was about to leave. "May I speak with Jirou Oriza?"

"This is Jirou Oriza." Kouya decided to pose as Jirou. "I have no intention of joining the Manganji Crush Gear Club. Now leave!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Gomano remarked. "We talked about this at the opening party! You said you're going to join!"

"I changed my mind!" Kouya retorted. "All I want to do is eat red bean buns! I don't really know anything about Crush Gear..."

"Hey! Who's pretending to be me?!" Jirou cut in. "If I catch you, I swear you're going to get it!"

"Oh no!" Kouya panicked and hurried through the back door, only to meet up with Jirou yet again.

"I knew it! It's you!" Jirou noted. "Hey! Get back here! Kouya, stop! What were you doing at my house?!"

And the chase from the house all the way to the fields begun.

* * *

By the canal...

"Jirou, calm down!" Kouya shouted.

"Then stop!"Jirou shouted back.

"Join our club already!" Kouya yelled.

"I don't want to!" Jirou snapped.

"Okay, let's do it this way; let's have a battle!" Kouya proposed. "If I defeat you... aaaaah!" he barely managed to finish his sentence when he tumbled down a small hill. Jirou skidded down after him, but they soon discovered that there was a group of bees nearby.

"Owww... that hurt..." Kouya winced.

"Great! This is all your fault! That was a beehive!" Jirou scolded.

Before any harm could be done on them, however, Koroudo practically jumped out of nowhere.

"Stop screaming, get down!" the blond shouted.

"Cool..." Kouya gushed as Koroudo fought off the bees.

"Wa..." he blinked when the sound of a flute drew the bees away.

"Wow, butterflies..." he looked at the butterflies fluttering towards the music.

"Amazing..." Jirou agreed, the three boys having climbed back up the slope to find Ami playing the bee flute.

Without even flinching when a couple of bees landed on her face, Ami continued to play. After a while, the bees flew back into the nearby trees.

"Music tames even the most savage of beasts." Ami mused.

Jirou and Kouya looked at each other in awe. Koroudo begun to walk away, when he spotted Kouya's things on the grass. He took the Garuda Eagle, turned it on, and listened to the sound of its motor, when Kouya ran up and grabbed it from him.

"That's mine!" Kouya snapped.

"Nice Gear." Koroudo noted. "But... you're definitely going to lose if battle with that."

Chuckling to himself, he went off.

"How could he say that?" Kouya retorted. "He knows nothing about this!"

"Kouya! I'm not finished with you yet!" Jirou barked, punching Kouya and knocking him down. "Listen to me, Kouya! I don't care about that club you keep blabbing about! You're not going to make me join it! And about your challenge, don't count on it!"

"Owww... why is he like that?" Kouya winced. "He's such a big kid yet he punched me!"

* * *

At Jirou's house..

"Hey, wait a minute, I never said I was going to join your team!" Jirou protested.

"What are you saying now?!" Gomano argued. "With all the food you ate back at the party, it's just right that you join our team! Many have already joined Takeshi's Gear Fighting team, most of them as good as you are, yet I personally came here to invite you! Be ashamed of yourself!"

"I'm not going to join you!" Jirou insisted, pushing Gomano out.

"He's the one who should be ashamed of himself!" he snorted.

"What was that, dear?" Mrs. Oriza asked.

"Nothing, mother." Jirou replied.

"Your friend Kouya dropped by, by the way." Mrs. Oriza informed him, placing a plate of red bean buns on the table. "He wanted to thank you for saving his life. Here."

"I see..." Jirou realized. "He thinks he can make me join them by giving me red bean buns."

"Huh?" he blinked, after taking a bite and finding a note inserted inside.

"Thank you for saving my life. I hope you'll decide to join our Gear Fighting club. Kouya Marino." he read the note. Taking another bun he opened it up, finding the same note in it. He then opened the others and pulled out the same note in them as well.

"He really filled all of them!" he remarked. "How persistent!"

* * *

At the Tobita clubhouse...

The phone rang.

"Kaoru here." Kaoru answered the phone.

"It's for you." she passed the receiver to Kouya.

"Jirou? Why did you call?" Kouya asked.

After a while, the two confronted each other at the arena inside the clubhouse.

"Listen, Kouya! I'm here to accept your challenge!" Jirou replied. "Let's battle, just one round; if you win, I'll join the Tobita Club."

"But what if you defeat me?" Kouya asked.

"I don't want to see your face ever again!" Jirou replied.

"That's fine with me!" Kouya retorted. "But before we start, there's something I want to know."

"What is it?" Jirou asked.

"What made you accept my challenge?" Kouya inquired.

"I just don't want you to bother me ever again!" Jirou replied. "But hey, do you really think you can defeat me?"

"I can't tell, but look at my Crush Gear" Kouya retorted. "This was made by a genius, by my brother, Yuya Marino!"

"I don't care even if your mother made that!" Jirou snapped. "Don't you remember what that kid who helped us earlier said?"

"What did he say anyway?" Kouya blinked.

"He said that if you'll battle with that Crush Gear, you're definitely going to lose. He used the keenness of his ears to know where the bees were. His sense of hearing is extraordinary, almost inhuman, and I'm sure that's what he used to tell that there's something wrong with your Gear!" Jirou replied.

"I don't believe him! I believe in the abilities of my Garuda Eagle and with it I'm definitely going to defeat you!" Kouya retorted.

"Then stop the fuss!" Jirou added.

"Let's start!" Kouya agreed.

"I'll be the referee for this match, which will last for three minutes." Kaoru started. "The Gear that falls out of the arena loses. If after three minutes there still won't be a winner, we'll go into overtime."

"Okay!" Kouya and Jirou chorused.

After three minutes, it ended with a tie.

_Yuya... I need your help now... I need to defeat Jirou so he'll join the club... I need to win this match. _Kouya prayed as he prepared the Garuda Eagle.

"Break's over!" Kaoru declared, the battle re-starting again.

"Jirou, here I come!" Kouya shouted as the two gears fighters started the battle.

"There! Now! Get ready!" Jirou cheered his gear. "Hurricane Crush!"

"No!" Kouya exclaimed as the Garuda Eagle fell out of the arena.

"You lose, Kouya!" Jirou announced. "Oh, and before I forget, that was my special move called the Hurricane Crush. Do you believe what that kid said now? He knew there was something wrong by the sound of your Gear's motor, that's why he said that you're going to lose if you use it in battle."

Kouya, however, ran down to get the Garuda Eagle. Falling on his knees, he started pounding the floor in his frustration.

"No! No! Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?" Kouya wailed.

"Kouya..." Kaoru muttered.

"Why are you acting like that? That was just a game." Jirou noted.

"No! I... I wanted our club to have a skilled Gear Fighter so we can join the tournament!" Kouya mumbled.

"Kouya, don't feel so bad about it." Jirou soothed.

"I thought I could make you join our club... but I was wrong... there's no hope now... nothing will happen to us now..." Kouya cried.

"Come on, Kouya. Stop crying." Jirou tried to sooth him.

"You just don't know... you just don't know... my... my... my... my piggy bank!" Kouya sobbed. "I destroyed my piggy bank just so I can have the money to buy your red bean buns!"

"What did you say?! And I thought you were crying for real! Do you want me to hurt you again?!" Jirou threatened.

"Let me go!" Kouya protested when Jirou grabbed him by the shirt, lifting him up to punch him, when Lilika arrived.

"Hello!" Lilika blinked.

"Jirou, let me go!" Kouya struggled against Jirou's grip. "What is it with you? Aaah!"

Jirou stopped in mid-punch, his eyes fixed on Lilika and dropping Kouya in the process.

"What's going on?" Lilika asked.

"I wanted him to join the club so I challenged him to a fight. And what happened..." Kouya explained.

"That's right! And now I'm going to join your club!" Jirou replied.

"What did you say?" Kouya was confused.

"Really! You see, ever since I came here, I've heard so many good things about the Tobita Club!" Jirou gushed. "Oh and by the way, I'm Jirou Oriza!"

"What? You're Jirou Oriza?" Lilika echoed.

"You're right there, Miss! In the flesh!" Jirou beamed.

"Pleasure to meet you!" Lilika smiled.

Jirou let out a laugh as the Tobita Club acquired its second member.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	4. ARC 1: Gear Master

SailorStar9: Chapter 2 goes up. This is Chapter 3.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I do own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 3: Gear Master

* * *

The next day at the Marino restaurant...

Kaoru was sitting next to the window, beside Jirou and across the table from Kouya. Lilika was sitting next to the latter and Ami was at the counter. They were holding up glasses filled with what appeared to be lemon juice.

"Eating time!" Kouya, Jirou and Kaoru chorused.

"Isn't it funny? The Tobita Club's still alive, and there's no reason why we can't join the tournament!" Kaoru protested.

"But wait a minute, the last day for registration will be next month. We still need two more Gear Fighters." Lilika pointed out.

"Don't worry, Lilika!" Kouya assured her. "I know who we should talk to!"

* * *

Back in the Tobita Club...

Jirou was leaning against a table or something, beside Lilika who was standing beside Kaoru who was sitting in front of the computer. Kouya was sitting across the table from her, seen behind a couple of books, talking animatedly.

"He knew that there was a problem with my Gear, and he guessed that I'll lose to Jirou! He also knows how to wield a kendo sword!" Kouya gushed.

"There! I found it!" Kaoru beamed. "Four kendo schools, all just around here!"

"Great! I'm sure we'll be able to find him easily!" Kouya nodded.

"Ami, you okay?" Lilika asked the pale-faced administrator.

"I will be." Ami replied. "Let's just say I'm not ready to face my past just yet."

* * *

Later...

Jirou and Kouya were seen running. Then a sign for a Kendo School with a man standing in front of it, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry." he apologized.

At the second school, Jirou shook his head at Kouya as students in brown hamakas were running to and fro. Scene changed to two men sparring with wooden swords, the one in the left hitting the other in the head.

"You got him, very good!" the Master nodded. "Bow! Next!"

"Yes, Master!" the student replied.

"Bow!" the Master instructed.

The young man who won was seen sitting on the floor cross-legged beside his classmates and taking off his helmet - Koroudo, of course.

"Hopefully this is it!" Jirou noted.

Seeing Koroudo, Kouya waved at him. Scene changed to the kendo school's backyard lawn. Kouya, apparently, had been forcing him to join the Tobita Club.

"I'm not interested in Gear Fighting." Koroudo reminded Kouya.

"But why not?" Kouya pressed. "Many say you're a skilled Gear Fighter."

"Why are you here anyway?" Koroudo asked. "Aren't you supposed to be fixing the problem of your Garuda Eagle?"

"I don't know how." Kouya confessed. "Can you help me?"

"There's a small crack." Koroudo replied. "One of the teeth of your motor gear has a crack."

"What did you say? A small crack?" Kouya echoed. "How were you able to tell? That's impossible!"

"Because of the sound." Koroudo replied.

"Sound?" Kouya echoed.

"Your Gear sounds different. I'm sure of that." Koroudo insisted.

"That's why." Jirou noted.

"Hey, is he telling the truth?" Kouya asked the larger teen.

"I don't care if you believe me or not, Kouya." Koroudo warned. "But if you won't fix your Gear, it won't take long for it to be destroyed for good."

"If that's the case, then I'll just replace the gear!" Kouya remarked.

"It's not that simple. Your motor gear is hand-made, out of resin." Koroudo pointed out. "You just can't buy a new one. What you're thinking is impossible, because for sure their sizes won't match. If you really want your Gear fixed, go to a Gear Master."

"What's a Gear Master?" Kouya blinked.

"What?! Are you kidding?! Don't you really know what a Gear Master is?! I can't believe it!" Jirou exclaimed. "You know, Gear Masters are those who make and maintain the working condition of Crush Gears. They're the only people who are capable of doing that. And there isn't a Gear Fighter who doesn't know about them. But wait a minute, I don't think there's a Gear Master here in Japan."

"Yes there is." Koroudo corrected. "I'll tell you where you can find him, but you can't tell him or anyone else that I'm the one who told you about him. Promise me that."

"You sure you did the right thing?" Ami asked, jumping from the tree branch she was standing on once Jirou and Kouya was out of earshot. "Sending them over _him_? The two of us know how cranky he can get."

"Then again..." she added with a small smile. "Kouya can be pretty persistent."

"What are you doing back?" Koroudo asked.

"Yuya's request." Ami replied.

"I see." Koroudo noted. "That mean you're..."

"With the Tobita Club?" Ami finished his sentence. "Yeah."

"By the way," she looked at Koroudo. "How long do you two intend on keeping this feud going? For the rest of your lives?"

* * *

Later...

Jirou and Kouya were walking towards Kyousuke's place, and then going down a flight of stairs to the basement.

"So he's the Gear Master..." Kouya noted.

"Kyousuke Jin?" Jirou echoed. "You know, I think I heard his name from somewhere."

"His father said that he's always in the basement, doing nothing except beautifying his Crush Gear." Kouya remarked. "I hope he talks to us, Jirou."

"Hello?" Kouya called out after they knocked.

"Whoa, look at his tools!" Jirou blinked at the massive amount of tools on the table. "So this is the hideout of a Gear Master."

"All of these are Crush Gears?" Kouya was astonished.

"Yes, and they're made differently." Jirou nodded.

"Get out of here! Why did you come here anyway?" Kyuosuke snapped. "You're disturbing me."

"Are you Kyousuke Jin?" Kouya asked. "You see, I was going to ask you a favor. If you'd be so kind, I'd like you to fix my Crush Gear. Please, Kyousuke?"

"This Crush Gear used to belong to the Asian Cup Champion." Jirou supplied.

"Right!" Kouya added. "This is the Gear my brother used in the World Championship, his name is Yuya Marino!"

"Kyousuke, you're a Gear Master, aren't you interested in this?" Jirou asked.

"Who told you about me? What's his name?" Kyuosuke pressed.

"His name?" Jirou echoed.

"Shh!" Kouya hushed. "We can't tell you."

"Gear Fighters are of the lowest class! They're all the same... advantage-taking abusers!" Kyuosuke snapped. "Once they're finished with you, they'll throw you away like some garbage! That's why I curse all Gear Fighters!"

"What did you say?!" Jirou demanded.

"So you hold a grudge against us Gear Fighters... then I challenge you to a battle!" Kouya insisted.

"Here we go again." Jirou sighed.

:I'm sure you have a powerful Crush Gear, because if it isn't, you wouldn't be a Gear Master. But I don't care! I'm still going to defeat you!" Kouyapressed.

"You're not going to win! You seem to have forgotten that your Crush Gear isn't in good condition! It'll just be crushed by my Dino Spartan!" Kyuosuke snapped.

"He's right." Jirou agreed.

"Then let's start the battle right now!" Kouya pressed.

"Calm down, Kouya." Jirou told the younger teen. "He's right, your Garuda Eagle isn't in good condition. It's impossible for you to win this match."

"What are you saying?!" Kouya demanded.

"Don't be mad at me." Jirou replied. "I just want to personally defeat this genius. So, Kyousuke? This is your chance to get back at a Gear Fighter!"

"I accept! I'm going to use my Dino Spartan!" Kyuosuke replied. "But remember, if you lose, or if our match ends in a draw, I won't fix his Gear! Is everything clear?"

"All clear, Kyousuke." Jirou gave the okay.

"Pull down the curtains! It's too bright; the light's hurting my eyes!" Kyuosuke snapped.

"Strange kid, is he a vampire or something?" Kouya remarked.

"I'm ready!" Kyuosuke told his opponent.

"So am I!" Jirou added.

"Three minutes, sudden death match! Gear Fighters, set up! Ready, GO!" Kouya refereed.

After the countdown, the battle begun.

"Jirou, use your Hurricane Crush!" Kouya cheered.

"Yeah!" Jirou whooped. Only to have Dino Spartan knocked Racing Bull out of the arena.

"He's so good! He managed to block my Hurricane Crush!" Jirou noted.

"You're right!" Kouya agreed.

"With the strength and speed of my customized Dino Spartan, it can knock any Crush Gear out of the arena! We had an agreement. You lost, so I won't fix his Gear." Kyuosuke snorted.

"Wait a minute! Kyousuke, give us one more chance, please! I'll fight you this time!" Kouya insisted.

"Let's go. We lost; let's abide with what has been agreed on." Jirou noted.

Kouya: Let me go! Let me go! I said, let me go!

"What is it with you, Jirou?! I said, let me go!" Kouya struggled against Jirou's grip as Jirou hurled him outside. "Why are you doing this to me?! How can my Garuda Eagle be fixed now?! Come on!"

"Tell me, do you know why that kid wishes to be alone? And do you know why he's so pissed off at us Gear Fighters? Do you?" Jirou snapped. "Now I remember... that kid, Kyousuke Jin, was once a Crush Gear Champion. He was the most skilled member of Green Four Team. But his Gear Fighting technique was too good, his teammates avoided him. Eventually, he was kicked out of the group."

Kyousuke was seen standing with the dark silhouettes of his former groupmates. Notice that one of them was Koroudo. And then Kyousuke with his Gear, was shown closing a door.

"So that's why he's that mad." Kouyanoted.

"He loves Gear Fighting so much, and I'm sure he wants to get back into action." Jirou added.

"That's great! He's just the person we need!" Kouya beamed.

"Hey, wait!" Jirou shouted.

Back at the basement. Kyousuke was fixing a few things on the table as Kouya bugged him... again.

"I have something to ask of you." Kouya pressed.

"I won't fix your Gear, so you better go home!" Kyuosuke snapped.

"But that's not what I want." Kouya corrected. "Listen, I want you to join our Gear Fighting team. We need a skilled Gear Fighter."

"And who told you that I want to be a Gear Fighter again?" Kyuosuke pressed.

"Everyone knows that you want to go back, that you want to be the best! I saw it in your eyes when you battled Jirou! You want to experience winning again!" Kouya urged. "Forget about the past, Kyousuke, you can be a champion again. Please, believe me! Oh I give up... no, wait, I know! Let's battle!"

"Is that all you ever think about? Don't you have anything better to do?" Kyuosuke scoffed. "And tell me, what can I gain if I battle someone like you?"

"You're so conceited!" Kouya huffed.

"All right, I accept your challenge." Kyuosuke agreed. "But before we start, I'll fix your Gear first, understood? I want a fair fight, you see."

"I knew you couldn't stand it." Kouya grinned.

As he took his Gear from his jacket. Kyousuke grabbed his wrist and stopped him.

"You really don't know how to think. You're really going to allow your opponent to tinker with your Gear? Don't you know that I have the chance to destroy it, or steal its secrets?" Kyuosuke asked.

"With your skill?" Kouya replied. "I don't think there's anything else you need to know. Besides, I trust you."

Kyousuke looked away and proceeded to his desk with the Garuda Eagle.

"Wow, your motor gear is made out of resin... hand-made... there's nothing like it! You certainly don't get to see this everyday!" Kyuosuke gushed.

"So I did get the right information..." Kouya noted/

Kyuosuke began working on his computer.

"There! I found it! A tiny crack! Now you don't have to worry about anything!" Kyuosuke beamed.

"I did ask the right person!" Kouya grinned.

"Get out of there!" Kyuosuke barked, pushing Kouya out of the way and looked around in the boxes on the shelves for something. He came back with a tiny, uncut piece of circular blue metal and with the computer, turned it into a wheel.

"It's all fixed, you won't have any problem with this now."Kyousuke looked proudly at his masterpiece.

"You're really so good! But is this really fixed?" Kouya blinked.

"I thought you trusted me!" Kyuosuke protested.

Kouya grabbed Garuda Eagle.

"Thank you so much! Let's battle now!" Kouya beamed.

"Wait!"Kyousuke shouted.

"Come on, hurry!" Kouya pressed.

* * *

At the arena...

"I'll be the referee now, Kouya." Jirou took over Kouya's role.

"Yes, thank you." Kouya noted.

"Round One! Gear Fighters, set up! Ready, GO!" Jirou declared.

* * *

During the battle...

"I'm sure you don't know much about Gear Fighting! Get ready for the super speed spinning trick!" Kyuosuke shouted; however Garuda Eagle dodged Dino Spartan.

"What?!" he gasped.

"You thought I don't know about Gear Fighting?" Kouya snorted.

"Get ready!" Kyuosuke declared.

:Garuda Eagle... it seems like... it's as good as new! Yes, Yuya Marino intended it to work well at all times... but Kyousuke's a really good Gear Master, he knew what to do! But he can lose, judging from the Garuda Eagle's performance!" Jirou noted.

"Oh no. He's slowing down..." Kyuosuke gaped.

"Charge!" Kouya hollered.

Garuda Eagle charged and Dino Spartan fell upside down.

"Great!" Kouya whooped.

"How did that happen?!" Kyuosuke was confused.

"One! Two!" Jirou started the countdown.

"Get up, Dino Spartan!" Kyuosuke told his Gear.

"Three!" Jirou continued..

"Don't stand up anymore!" Kouya remarked.

"Four! Five! Winner, Kouya!" Jirou declared.

"Great! That was fast! Now I know what the Garuda Eagle can do! Thanks for your help, Kyousuke!" Kouya beamed.

"This can't be! My Dino Spartan! How could you have defeated my high speed spinning

technique?!" Kyuosuke was still shocked.

Kouya was holding a set of red wheels in his hand.

"Sorry, Kyousuke... because you're still going to lose in the second round!" he noted.

* * *

The second round started with Garuda Eagle with new settings and...

"Round Two! Gear Fighters, set up! Ready, GO!" Jirou declared.

"I won't allow that to happen again!" Kyuosuke promised.

"I can make it spin and change its direction as well!" Kouya noted. "But --- Garuda Eagle, what's happening to you?"

"Your technique sucks." Kyuosukesnorted.

"Kouya made a mistake when he changed the settings of the Garuda Eagle --- it's now suffering from imbalance!" Jirou noted.

"Don't keep on running away! Fight!" Kyuosuke demanded,

"I'm not running away!" Kouya insisted.

Garuda Eagle hit the arena's wall and flipped over.

"Garuda Eagle! It flipped over!" Kyuosuke gaped.

"One!" Jirou started to count.

"Get up, Garuda Eagle!" Kouya urged.

"Two!" Jirou continued.

"Get up!" Kouya pressed.

"Three!" Jirou continued.

"Garuda Eagle, what are you doing?!" Kouya pressed.

"Four!" Jirou continued.

"Garuda Eagle!" Kouya shouted.

"Five! Winner, Kyousuke!" Jirou continued.

"I told you, you just got lucky!" Kyuosuke scoffed.

"What did you say?!" Kouya demanded.

"Yes, you have a first-class Crush Gear, but it's all going to waste because you're nothing but a third-class Gear Fighter! " Kyuosuke retorted, with a 'thumbs down'. "And I'm going to prove it in this round! I'm now going to use the dash-type setting!"

"Bring it on!" Kouya challenged.

"Kouya, aren't you going to put it back to its original setting?" Jirou asked. "You can have a better chance of winning with that."

"No! I know what I'm doing, referee!" Kouya insisted.

"Uh, yes! Round Three! Ready, GO!" Jirou noted.

* * *

And round three started...

"Did you see that? Who's the third-class Gear Fighter now?" Kouya snorted.

"All right, all right! You're just lucky! Well, did you see that? Look how strong my super customized wheels are!" Kyuosuke boasted.

"He's so good. His setting is very unique." Jirou admitted.

"Whoa!" Kyuosuke gasped.

"He's really a world-class player... Kouya will only win if he gets lucky!" Jirou realized.

"No matter what, I'm not going to lose! And no matter what, that kid will join our team! Charge!" Kouya shouted.

"What---?!" Kyuosuke was stunned.

"Looks like luck's really on his side!" Jirou remarked.

"I win!" Kouya whooped as Dino Spartan was thrown out of the ring, and Garuda Eagle after awhile. It ended up in a moving belt on a machine... its end, a shredding machine; wheels with teeth! Kyousuke and Kouya both ran, but the latter tripped and Kyousuke hurried, grabbing the Gear but ending up in the belt with it. He tried to move out, but sank even more in to the stuff around him. Kouya grabbed his ankles, trying to pull him out.

"No! Find the switch, Jirou, quick! Turn it off!" Kouya shouted.

"What am I going to press here?!" Jirou asked.

A gloved hand pressed over a switch, causing the machine to stop. Kyousuke was so near to the shredding wheels and Kouya let go of him and fell back.

"What are you doing here?" their rescuer asked

Kouya grinned at Kyousuke. Kyousuke looked away and extended his hand towards him, on it was Garuda Eagle.

* * *

The scene changed and someone with a black umbrella entered Tobita Club HQ. Kyousuke opened the door to the back room where everyone was.

"Kouya, I'm here." Kyuosuke remarked.

"Kyousuke, is that you?" Kouya blinked.

"What are you doing here?" Jirou asked.

"What is it with you? Does that have to be asked? I'm here to accept your offer!" Kyuosuke replied.

"My offer?" Kouya echoed.

"So you mean..?" Jirou trailed.

"You're now joining the Tobita Crush Gear Club?" Lilika asked.

"Why do you want to join?" Kaoru inquired.

"Why do you have so many questions?! Are you investigators or something?!" Kyuosuke snapped as light from an open window reflected off his glasses.

"Aaah, please, close the curtains! My eyes are going to explode!" he shouted, falling to his knees against the door as Lilika approached him.

"Are you all right? Do you want a glass of water?" Lilika asked.

"I don't like water. Tomato juice. With ice." Kyuosuke replied.

"I knew it! You're a vampire!" Kouya exclaimed, causing everyone else to laugh.

"Welcome back, Kyou-chan." Ami beamed.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	5. ARC 1: The Fourth Fighter

SailorStar9: Chapter 3 goes up. This is Chapter 4.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 3: The Fourth Fighter

* * *

Koroudo and his Master stood across each other, almost unmoving. The older of the two shifted his position slightly and gripped his kendo sword tighter, but his movement did not go unnoticed by Koroudo, who had his eyes closed then. A moment later, the blond attacked, ending the match.

"Your attack was superb. Sometimes, a battle ends after just one blow." the Master noted. "But Koroudo, I noticed you're not yourself today."

"Not myself?" Koroudo echoed.

"Yes. I feel that there's something you have to finish, but your heart itself is getting in the way." the Master replied. "Remember, you'll never succeed if that hesitation remains in your heart."

"But Master..." Koroudo protested.

"Allow me to explain. Oh, he's here again." the Master started.

They looked out the window and saw Kouya peeping. Panicking, the latter fell off from his perch. The scene then was replaced by the Tobita clubhouse.

* * *

In the Tobita clubhouse...

"Yes, you're right. I believe we've found the person we need, thanks to Kouya." Lilika reported over the phone.

* * *

Back in the dojo...

"Surely he'll talk to me now!" Kouya remarked.

"Master, can we have one more match?" Koroudo requested.

"What about your friend?" the Master asked.

"He's not my friend." Koroudo replied, recalling what had transpired earlier that day.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_What I said the other day..." Ami started as Koroudo took his place beside her by the beach. "Isn't the complete truth."_

_Koroudo raised an eyebrow._

"_It's time we ended our chapter." Ami replied._

"_Ended..." Koroudo gaped, before realizing what she meant._

"_I know… I totally blew it, admittedly I've said things I shouldn't have and never intended to." he noted. "But to end what we have just because of that..."_

"_Had." Ami corrected. "Past tense." and thrust a clear plastic file into his face._

"_I want a clean break." she added curtly. "Everything you've given me, I'm returning to you."_

"_Take it or leave it." she dropped the file onto the sand before she proceeded to leave._

"_What happened to the Ami I know?" Koroudo blinked._

"_You killed her." Ami replied coldly._

"_Nymph..." Koroudo trailed._

"_You have no right to call me that now." Ami reminded him in mid-step._

"_Afterall," she added. "I wasn't the one who initiated the breakup."_

_Koroudo grimaced, raising a palm to his cheek where Ami had slapped him after their stormy argument. What the hell had he stupidly done?_

* * *

"Koroudo, please, this will just take a while! I just want to talk to you! Koroudo, talk to me, please! I beg of you!" Kouya pleaded.

But his words fell into deaf ears as Koroudo proceeded to battle his Master one more time. The scene switched to the Tobita clubhouse, where the members were having a meeting.

* * *

In the Tobita Clubhouse...

"What?" Kaoru exclaimed. He doesn't want to join our club? You shouldn't have stopped bugging him until he said yes!

"It's not as easy as that." Kouya protested.

"Then find someone else!" Kaoru pressed.

"Hey, I just transferred here! I don't know anyone else except you guys!" Jirou objected when all eyes turned to him. "How about you, Kyousuke? Maybe you have friends who want to join the club!"

"Finding new members is not my job." Kyuosuke replied.

"How arrogant!" Jirou complained. "Don't be like that, Kyousuke! Friends help each other!"

Kyousuke slammed his fists on the table angrily.

"I don't believe in friends, or this team! I only believe in my Gear!" he snapped.

"Kyousuke..." Kouya blinked.

"Stop being so arrogant!" Kaoru pouted.

Kyousuke turned back to his work. He then handed Garuda Eagle to Kouya.

"You fixed my Crush Gear! You're the best! Thanks, Kyousuke!" Kouya beamed.

"What?" Kyuosuke gaped as a memory returned. Kouya was replaced by Koroudo instead, holding Shooting Mirage.

* * *

"_Thank you, Kyousuke." Koroudo remarked._

* * *

Shaking himself out of the memory his head, Kyuosuke then turned back to Kouya.

"It's nothing." he replied before running off.

"Why is he like that?" Kaoru demanded. "Answer me!"

"I-I don't know." Kouya stammered.

"Why did you invite him to the club anyway? Is he good?" Kaoru pressed.

"I think so." Kouya replied.

"You think so?!" Kaoru echoed.

"But of course he's good! And Koroudo is, too! Koroudo's really good in kendo!" Kouya insisted. "He just listened to the sound of my Gear and he immediately knew that there was something wrong with it! Right, Jirou?"

"Uh-huh!" Jirou nodded.

"But how sure are you that he's good in Gear Fighting? Why, have you seen the record of this Koroudo person?" Kaoru asked.

"Right! Let's do that!" Kouya agreed.

"All right, all right. Tomorrow, we'll research on that Koroudo you keep on talking about." Kaoru replied.

Meanwhile, Kyousuke was in his working place, walking towards a file drawer. He opened the middle one, revealing a white piece of paper. He lifted the paper and put it away, exposing a picture of him and Koroudo, and on top of it, a microchip. He took the microchip, remembering Koroudo's words.

* * *

"_You've gone too far this time, Kyousuke. But I admit, I must've been the one who pushed you to do this." Koroudo admitted. "Goodbye, Kyousuke. I don't want to be a Gear Fighter anymore."_

* * *

The next day at the Tobita Clubhouse...

Kaoru, Kouya and Jirou were in front of the computer.

"Here it is!" Kaoru beamed as the records came up.

"What does it say?" Kouya pressed.

"Name, Koroudo Marume. Team, Green Four." Kaoru recited. "Official score, out of 48 matches --- he won 43?! He only lost five times?!"

"Do you believe me now?" Kouya retorted. "But I admit, I didn't know he was once a Gear Fighter."

"You didn't know that he was once a Gear Fighter but you invited him to join our club?!" Kaoru exclaimed. "Why did you invite him, then?!"

"I just felt like it! I guess I should go to him now and force him to join!" Kouya concluded and left.

"Oh brother, he's giving me a headache..." Kaoru sighed. "Jirou? What are you looking at?"

"You see, Kaoru, isn't it stated there that he was once a member of Green Four?" Jirou asked. "That means that..."

Kaoru looked at him, then at the computer screen before gasping when she realized what he meant as the two looked over Ami who was doing the accounts. Meanwhile, Kouya had returned to the dojo to convince Koroudo --- again --- to join the club.

* * *

At the dojo..

"What is it with you?" Koroudo snapped. "I'm not interested in Crush Gear Fighting!"

"But you were once a very skilled Gear Fighter!" Kouya pressed. "I saw your record, you have such an amazing score!"

"I already forgot all about Gear Fighting. I don't want to be a Gear Fighter anymore." Koroudo told him.

"But why?" Kouya insisted.

"Because..." Koroudo trailed. "I don't have to tell you the reason! Now go! You're just wasting my time! I still have to practice!"

"Wait a minute, Koroudo!" Kouyacut him off. "I still have a question, about the Gear Master you told me about, how did you know him? Koroudo, wait!"

The dojo door slammed shut and Kouya sighed.

* * *

At the Tobita clubhouse...

Kyousuke arrived and got to work, as Kaoru and Jirou watched him silently.

"What do you want with me anyway?" Kyuosuke snapped.

"Because... well, we saw your file in the Internet, and found out that you were once a member of Team Green Four." Jirou replied. "We're just wondering what happened between you and Koroudo."

"What does that have to do with me joining your club? Why don't you tell me?" Kyuosuke snapped.

"It's like this, Kyousuke. At the moment, Kouya's forcing Koroudo to join our club." Kaoru explained.

"What?" Kyuosuke exclaimed.

"And aside from that, there's something else you need to know. It was Koroudo who told us all about you." Jirou added.

"That's not true!" Kyuosuke insisted.

"But it is! Believe us, Kyousuke! That's why we're asking you, because we want to know what happened to both of you!" Jirou pressed.

Kyousuke bolted up and runs off, bumping into Kouya on the way out.

"Kyousuke!" both Kaoru and Jirou called.

"What's the problem now?" Kouya asked.

Kyousuke headed back to the stadium where Koroudo had his last battle one year back. It was now closed and deserted.

* * *

_Flashback_

_Inside the stadium. Koroudo approached Kyousuke who was working on his Dino Spartan._

"_What? Eight straight wins?" a spectator exclaimed.  
_

"_Yes, and the last one just in ten seconds! You should've seen it!" his partner replied.  
_

"_Whoa! He's that good?" another added.  
_

"_Your Gear's motor is running very nicely. You fixed it well." Koroudo noted, handing Shooting Mirage to Kyousuke._

"_I never let anyone hold this... but I trust you." the blond admitted._

_Camera shift to the final scene of Koroudo's battle, with the indicator sounding. The audience cheered wildly. Koroudo and Kyousuke looked at each other and smiled._

"_Winner! Team Green Four!" the commentator announced._

* * *

Kyousuke took one last look at the stadium, before he turned around and walked away. He had only taken a step, however, when he gasped. Koroudo was standing a few feet from him.

* * *

At the Tobita clubhouse...

Kaoru and Jirou told Kouya their discovery.

"They're friends?" Kouya echoed.

"That's right. The two of them used to bring one victory after the other to Team Green Four." Jirou replied. "I just remembered now, they were the Gear Fighting tandem also called the 'Dynamic Duo'."

"Many Gear Fighters wanted Kyousuke to fix their Gears, but for Kyousuke, the only Gear he has to fix is that of Koroudo's, Shooting Mirage." Kaoru added.

"But why doesn't Koroudo want to take part in Gear Fighting now? And what's Kyousuke's problem?" Kouya asked.

"Well... it's like this." Jirou replied.

* * *

_Flashback._

"_We did it! If you win this match, you'll be the Crush Gear Singles Champion!" Kyuosuke beamed.  
_

"_What?" Koroudo blinked. "Oh. Yeah... I guess."  
_

"_Don't worry about it!" Kyuosuke assured him. "With my talent in fixing Gears and your skill in Gear Fighting, no one can ever beat us! You can do it! Here!" and handed him Shooting Mirage._

"_Thanks." Koroudo smiled lightly._

_Then, the scene that forever changed their lives..._

"_Forgive me. I'm cheating." Koroudo announced._

* * *

"Kyousuke forced Koroudo's Gear by putting a microchip inside it." Jirou explained.

"A microchip? But isn't that illegal?" Kouya echoed.

" At present, yes." Ami took over. "But before, that wasn't part of the rules, because nobody ever thought of doing something that advanced to a toy. Kyousuke, being the genius that he is, became the first to do so."

"But with Koroudo's extra-keen sense of hearing, he realized that something was wrong with his Gear. He then backed out of the battle, forfeiting his match." she added. "To him, honor was more important than victory."

"Wait..." Kaoru blinked. "So you and Koroudo..."

* * *

Meanwhile...

Koroudo and Kyousuke were standing by the seashore, talking.

"That wasn't against the rules!" Kyuosuke protested.

"Yes, it wasn't, but it's against the true meaning of the game. That was cheating, and cheating has never been right." Koroudo replied.

"You would've won! I did everything I could so that the Gear you would be using in that Championship would be the best, and now I'm the one who's at fault?!" Kyuosuke pressed.

"Listen. I shouldn't have allowed you to do that. That's why I preferred to back out of the battle. I had to prove that I was ready to face and accept the consequences of what you did. I was the one who paid for your mistake." Koroudo remarked.

* * *

At the Tobita clubhouse...

"Nobody told Kyousuke to leave Team Griffon, but his comrades got really mad at him that they didn't talk to him ever since." Jirou remarked.

"Three days after Koroudo left, I moved away." Ami added. "Kyou-chan left as well after two weeks."

"How sad." Kouya muttered.

* * *

Back at the seashore...

"But you still want to be a Gear Fighter, right?" Koroudo asked. "Be honest. Kyousuke, you really have to join Kouya's team. From what I've heard, they've resorted to begging just to get people to join them."

"Hey! Who ever said that I wanted to join their team?" Kyuosuke protested. "No! And by the way, thank you for telling those who know nothing of Gear Fighting about me! But I'm really joining their team, do you know why? Because I want to be a champion! I'm going to use my techniques to prove to everyone that I'm not a coward!"

"You've never learned anything, have you, Kyousuke?" Koroudo snapped. "Only cowards are afraid to lose a battle --- and that's what you are! A coward! A true Gear Fighter doesn't boast of his machine. A true Gear Fighter knows how to humble himself and accept defeat. If I didn't back out of that match, I still wouldn't be able to win because I was cheating."

"Liar! You really wanted to back out of that battle, and you just used the microchip as an excuse to do so!" Kyuosuke retorted. "If there's a coward here, it's you!"

Kyousuke was preparing his Dino Spartan for his battle with Koroudo.

"If so, then I was right..." Kyuosuke noted.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Kouya, Jirou and Kaoru had headed to the dojo in search of Koroudo.

"Master, where's Koroudo?" Kouya asked.

"He just left a few minutes ago." the Master replied.

"Do you know where he's headed for?" Jirou inquired.

"He didn't tell me." the Master replied. "But he said that he was going to take care of something he should've taken care of a long time ago."

"You mean, he went to..." Kouya blinked.

"Ah! I know where he is!" Kaoru gaped.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the deserted stadium...

Koroudo and Kyousuke were ready to battle.

"Even if the Gear is thrown out of the arena, the battle continues, am I right?" Koroudo asked.

"Right! And even if the Gear flips over, the battle continues! A deathmatch is what we're going to have. No time limit. The last Gear left running will be declared the winner. I'm ready!" Kyuosuke declared.

"So am I!" Koroudo added.

Kyousuke smirked as he turned his Gear on.

"I knew it, you put a microchip inside your Gear!" Koroudo accused.

"That's right. And I'm going to prove to you now who was wrong, Koroudo!" Kyuosuke announced. "Gear Fighters, set up! Ready, GO!"

And the battle began.

"Faster, Shooting Mirage!" Koroudo urged. "But --- how did that happen?!"

"Surprised? Do you like how my Dino Spartan moves?" Kyuosuke smirked. "The microchip has mapped the entire arena, and it can detect where the enemy Gear is through vibrations! My Gear can avoid all kinds of attacks this way! Charge, Dino Spartan!"

Meanwhile, the trio arrived outside the stadium.

"This is it. This is the stadium where Koroudo forfeited the match that would've made him the champion." Kaoru noted.

"I've witnessed many nice battles here, too, Kaoru. I just hope what's happening inside right now will be beneficial for our team." Jirou noted.

"I see you three are here." Ami remarked. "Let's go in."

* * *

In the stadium...

"Yes, that's it! Faster, Shooting Mirage, Lightning Flash!" Koroudo shouted.

"How..?" Kyuosuke was stunned.

"I told you already, your Gear is controlled by an electronic device, thus it is very easy to predict its moves! And for your information, your wheels are about to give way! Your microchip isn't that powerful, after all!" Koroudo retorted.

"I'm going to lose!" gasped.

"Finish him, Shooting Mirage! This battle's over!" Koroudo yelled.

The Dino Spartan fell out of the arena, toppling over. The Shooting Mirage charged head-on from the air towards it, in an attack that would lead to the its destruction. Before the impact took place, however, the Garuda Eagle bolted from out of nowhere and tackled the Dino Spartan away, making the Shooting Mirage hit the ground instead.

"Enough! Now, Koroudo, let's battle!" Kouya barked.

"Don't interfere, Kouya! Kyousuke and I are the ones battling here, let us finish what we've started!" Koroudo snapped.

"You're wrong! Maybe you don't know that Kyousuke's part of our team!" Kouya retorted.

"Kouya..." Kyuosuke blinked.

"He's part of your team?" Koroudo echoed. "All right, I accept your challenge! But I'm going to defeat you!"

"Let's see if you can do that!" Kouya challenged.

The battle restarted for Koroudo and Kouya.

"Your Gear's about to give up!" Koroudo told the younger Fighter. "Prepare to lose --- what?! The sound... it's fixed already! Why didn't I hear that sooner? I was wrong."

"They're all crazy! Why do you have to do this?! You're using your Crush Gears to fight like street children!" Kaoru scolded.

"What you're fighting for is not about Gear Fighting, Koroudo, Kyousuke." Jirou reminded.

"Oh, no! Garuda Eagle!" Kouya gasped.

"I knew it. Kouya doesn't stand a chance against him." Jirou remarked.

Shooting Mirage went for the kill, earning gasps from everyone else. Kouya squeezed his eyes shut in terrified anticipation for the destruction of his Gear. Upon hearing nothing , he opened his eyes and saw that Koroudo had stopped his Gear and was picking it up.

"Why, Koroudo?" Kouya asked.

"We already know that I'm the winner, so why do I have to continue with this battle?" Koroudo replied. "I just want to ask you a question, Kouya... your Gear's working fine now, who---"

"It was Kyousuke." Kouya answered.

"I knew it. I'm glad. All of you, do your best." Koroudo noted and walked off.

"Hey, wait! Koroudo!" Kouya shouted. "Wait a minute, don't you still want to join our Gear Fighting Club? Koroudo! Oh, never mind, whether you like it or not, you're our fourth Gear Fighter!"

* * *

Scene change to the day of the tournament registration. Takeshi exited from of his car and saw the Tobita Club, minus Koroudo, waiting on the stairway.

"Kouya!" Takeshi exclaimed. "You came here to register for the tournament? Wow, Jirou Oriza and Gear Master Kyousuke Jin! I'm impressed, Lilika! You managed to convince them to join your club in a short span of time!"

"I didn't do it, Takeshi. It was Kouya." Lilika replied.

"Really? He did all this? But from what I know, you need to have four Gear Fighters to be able to register. Why have I still not seen your fourth member?" Takeshi noted.

"Um, it's because..." Lilika trailed.

"I'm here!" Koroudo cut her off, walking up to the group.

"Koroudo!" Kouya gasped.

"Koroudo Marume? Don't tell me you're serious at what you're about to do?" Takeshi exclaimed. "Oh, I'm sorry, but you see, I thought you dropped out of Gear Fighting a year ago. Don't tell these people managed to convince you to return?"

"I don't owe you an explanation." Koroudo retorted.

"You're right. You know, I bet your team can make it to the last slot." Takeshi noted.

"We're going to be the champions, just wait and see! I swear, Takeshi, we're going to win all the matches in the tournament!" Kouya promised.

"We'll see about that, Kouya." Takeshi remarked, walking off as Koroudo went over to Lilika.

"I'm sorry for being late. I'm Koroudo Marume, by the way." the blond introduced himself.

"Don't worry about it, Koroudo. My name is Lilika Tobita." Lilika replied.

"Hey, Koroudo! Takeshi tried to convince you to join his team, right? Why didn't you tell us about it?" Kouya asked.

"Why, did you ask me about it?" Koroudo inquired.

"But even so!" Kouya pouted. "Uh... oh well, let's just forget about it!"

"That's what we should do." Koroudo agreed.

"So, are you all ready?" Jirou asked the team.

"Hey, why aren't you guys moving? We should celebrate, because from this day on, we'll always be together! Come on, let's shake hands!" Kouya shouted.

"I'm going to fight for this team, yes, but don't expect me to be friends with that boy standing beside you!" Kyuosuke snapped.

"Then that's good, because that's what I want to happen anyway." Koroudo added.

"Well, at least they're acting civil." Ami sighed at the two males.

"Come on, let's go. The registration might come to a close even before we can get ourselves listed." Lilika told the team.

"Yeah, let's go! Lilika, wait! Do you have an extra ballpen?" Jirou called.

"What are you standing there for?" Kaoru barked. "Let's go, Kouya! I'll race you there!"

"Okay! I'm coming!" Kouya shouted.

"Last one's a rotten egg!" Kaoru hollered.

"Children." Ami shook her head amusedly as the Tobita Club headed inside.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	6. ARC 1: Sailor Mercury Returns

SailorStar9: Chapter 4 goes up. This is Chapter 5.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 5: Sailor Mercury Returns

* * *

"Get in line!" Gomano hollered over the loudspeakers. "Anyone who wants to join our club has to line up hey you! Get back!"

"Hey, why are so many people lining up to join the Manganji Gear Club huh?" Jirou inquired.

"Hey, check it out." Gomano mocked. "Everybody's here today, even the Tobita Club's ace player, Kouya Marino."

"Gomano!" Kouya growled.

"And there's Jirou." Gomano added. "Takeshi asked him to join the club but he turned it down for thirty red-bean buns."

"What's wrong with that kid?" Jirou growled.

"That's Gomano." Kouya replied. "He's their club goofer. All he does is to kiss Takeshi's butt."

"I've met a few kids like him before." Jirou added.

"I heard that." Gomano snapped. "You don't want to get into an insult competition with me, little man. What are you two doing here, huh? Hey, you want to join the club, don't you?"

"Are you out of your mind?" Kouya snapped.

Yeah, yeah, you know the drill." Gomanoadded. "Get to the back of the line. You have to join us. They won't let a club as small as yours enter the tournament. We're still looking for a club toilet cleaner. You guys would be perfect."

"Quit pushing it." Jirou growled.

Dashing across the street, Kouya grabbed Gomano's loudspeaker.

"You don't have to have a lot of members to win a tournament, you fool!" he hollered.

"Try kissing your own butt for a change." he snapped.

* * *

In the Tobita Club...

"Well, yes that's true." Lilika admitted. "But you're no longer a member of this club, Takeshi. You seem to have forgotten that. That's very kind of you but I'm afraid it'll be against the rules to accept any money from you." and hung up the phone.

* * *

In the Marino restaurant...

"You don't have a lot of members to win a tournament, you fool?" Kaoru echoed.

"Yeah, he took his microphone and yelled that in front of everyone standing in line for the Manganji Club. It was amazing." Jirou replied.

"And funny." Kouya added.

"Hey good work, Kouya." Koroudo noted.

The conversation was cut short by Gomano's holler over the loudspeaker as the truck drove by.

"Argh!" Ami groaned. "Someone shut him up before my ear-drums burst!"

"Oh can I, can I please!" Kaoru begged, hey eyes twinkling as she put on the 'I'm-so-gonna-hate-you-if-you-don't-let-me' pout.

"Be my guest." Ami shrugged. "Just get him off my case."

Throwing the door open, Kaoru hollered, "HEY BIRDBRAIN!!! SHUT THE HELL UP AND GET LOST!!!"

Ami winced as she covered her ears, "Any louder Kaoru?" she mumbled.

"Sorry Ami-neechan..." blushed the younger girl.

"It's true you don't need a lot of people to win." she sighed after Gomano went his way. "But we don't need to advertise it. You're stupid, Kouya! All you've been thinking about is getting enough members to enter the tournament. You've forgotten something important."

"What is it, Kaoru?" Koroudo asked.

"It's great that you've brought enough players to enter the tournament." Kaoru replied. "But that means we've got only have six members in total, including myself. Are you guys trying to tell me that the Tobita Club can survive with just six paying members?"

"Let me explain this one." Ami took over. "A club depends on the monthly membership fees to keep it running. There're tons of expenses the club has to pay. Maintenance, tournament fees and that's just for starters."

"And you brainiacs think the club can keep going with six membership fees?" Kaoru snapped.

"Oh, I see." Jirou noted. "That makes sense."

"Of course it makes sense!" Kaoru retorted. "Don't be so ignorant! Surely we're practicing for the tournament now, but what if the club can't afford to stay in business? Then you can't play, get it?"

"I'm going." Kyuosuke got out of his seat. "There's nothing I can do about this situation."

"Kyousuke!" Koroudo chided. "As a member of the Tobita Club, you share the responsibility."

"I've got nothing to do with it." Kyuosuke replied.

"You've got everything to do with it." Jirou corrected. "We've got all the club members sitting right here and it's our duty to do something to help this club. Do you want it to fall?"

"I'm not going to let that happen." Kouya insisted.

"What do I do?" Kyuosuke asked as Kaoru stormed in front of him.

"Don't go home." Kaoru retorted. "Sit down and help us think!"

"Why can't she just ask nicely?" Kyuosuke muttered.

"Hell knows no fury like Kaoru angered." Ami chuckled.

"So, what are we going to do?" Jirou asked. :How are we going to get more club members? I don't want to do what Kouya did, go round the streets begging people to join us."

"Hey, that's a great idea." Kouya noted.

"I'm not going to beg people to join our club." Koroudo remarked.

"Not a chance." Jirou added his two cents.

"Why not?" Kouya blinked.

"Only one person in this world would lower themselves that far, and that's you." Jirou replied.

"Hey, but it worked didn't it?" Kouya pointed out. "You joined the club, didn't you Jirou?

"I did not join the club because you begged me." Jirou corrected. "I joined because I..."

"Because of the red-bean buns." Kouya added.

"What did you say?" Jirou shouted.

"Wait, you joined the club because of Lilika." Kouya teased.

"Don't change the subject!" Kaoru hollered as Ami calmly sipped her juice.

"I've got it!" Kouya beamed. "A tournament!"

At the other three's blinks, he explained, "Nobody knows how good the Tobita Club is yet. If we host a club tournament, then we can show everybody how good we are. Forget the Manganji Club, people will be lining to join us."

"A club tournament." Jirou noted. "That's not a bad idea. If we send out enough invitations, a lot of people might come."

"Yeah." Kouya agreed. "We'll call it something like 'The First Crush Gear Tournament of the Tobita Club. Our super-talented Gear Fighters are waiting for your challenge. How does that sound?"

"Great. That might actually be a really good way to promote the club." Koroudo agreed.

"Right. That settles it then." Kouya noted.

"You agree, don't you?" he peered at Kyuosuke.

"Yeah fine, whatever." Kyuosuke replied.

"Hold your horses." Ami cut in. "Don't you think we should talk to Lilika before we do anything else?"

"Of course not." Kouya replied. "This will help us get a ton of new members for her. There's no way she's going to say no to it."

"So, if Lilika shouts and screams at you, don't say I didn't warn you." Ami deathpanned when her handphone rang.

"Yes?" she picked up the call.

"No." she frowned.

"But..." she protested after a while. "When?"

"Fine." she sighed in resignation and hung up.

"Sets, I really hate you." she muttered to her cell phone.

"You're leaving." Kyuosuke noted knowingly as the blue-haired genius hopped off her stool.

"Have to." Ami replied. "I just received my orders."

"You could have protested against the order." Koroudo pointed out. "But you didn't."

"Normally I would." Ami glared at her ex-lover. "If it didn't come from my immediate superior!"

"By the way, did I also mention that she's the only one who ever taught me _anything_useful?" she snapped and stormed out.

"Ouch. Burn." Kaoru winced.

"Still haven't patched things up with her, huh?" she raised a knowing eyebrow.

"Kaoru, don't go there." Koroudo warned.

"You have about three hours before she catches her train." Kaoru reminded the blond.

"Thanks." Koroudo nodded and took off.

"Good luck, you two." Kaoru muttered.

"Well, now that two of our members are MIA, I guess this meeting is adjourned." Jirou noted. "For now, anyway."

* * *

In the Mizuno's apartment...

Ami winced when she felt a sense of foreboding in the pit of her stomach that would just _not_ go away. It felt like a volcano in her. Building and building until it got to big and would erupt. And 'erupt' it did, making the blue haired girl grimace visibly. _Ouch! I hate it when that happens._

A last gut wrenching pain hit her stomach and she keeled over in pain, sending a vase crashing to the floor. _What the hell?! This has never happened to me before! Only when...oh no _her mind went into turmoil as her she recalled that the last time she had gotten this sort of thing, was seconds before she got the vision of the moon kingdom being attacked...

* * *

_Flash_

_Princess Serenity stopped before the Prayer Room where the Moon Stick and the Ginzuishou were kept before stepping into the Prayer Room._

Yes, the Ginzuishou will provide me with what I want. Adeline will pay dearly. _The Moon Princess thought._

_With the presence of a White Moon royal, the security systems of the Prayer Room automatically shut off._

_Princess Serenity walked towards the tier where the Moon Stick, complete with the Ginzuishou, floated._

_Grabbing the Moon Stick with shaky hands, she thrust the said wand into the air._

_The Ginzuishou mounted on top of the Moon Stick began to glow brightly as Princess Serenity made _

_her demand._

"_Please Ginzuishou… seal Solaris's spirit within the Sun so that Adeline would never see him again!" she shouted._

_The crystal began to pulse in response to her wish._

_Noting where the light was coming from, Queen Selenity immediately headed over to the Prayer Room._

_The wish begun to take effect as Solaris's_ (which looked remotely like Koroudo)_ physical body suddenly faded away, his soul sealed within his Temple on the Solar Castle. The split second Solaris's soul was sealed away, the light of Mercury died as Adeline fell to the crystal floor of the Mariner Castle, dead. The same time Adeline died, Solaris' sealed soul followed her to the afterlife._

* * *

Outside, Koroudo heard something crash to the ground and flung the half-opened door open.

"Shit!" the blond let out a rare curse and he dashed to Ami's side.

"Nymph, come on, speak to me!" he urged, cradling the shivering girl in his arms.

_Wait..._ he wondered. _The only time she collapsed like this was when..._

Knowing what had happened, Koroudo carefully pulled the girl closer.

"Another one?" he asked gently and Ami peered open her eyes.

"Yeah..." Ami replied tiredly.

"But never this bad." Koroudo noted.

"Not my fault I can't control what I see." Ami rolled her eyes.

"Still have your sense of humor huh?" Koroudo joked, causing Ami to glare at him.

"Sorry, poor attempt at a joke." he remarked. "Can you stand?"

At her glare, he relented, "Sorry, stupid question."

The reunited pair just remained in the comforting embrace, Ami dozing off in Koroudo's arms a while later.

"Get your rest, Nymph." Koroudo muttered, shifting her into a more comfortable position. "I'll wake you up when it's time."

"Beautiful..." he whispered, his fingers trailing alongside her body as he watched her peaceful slumber. "I'm sorry, Nymph, that I'd started that argument. I never wanted us to breakup, not like that. Do you know how much I regretted shouting at you, and all because you stood by Kyuosuke's side after 'that incident'? You were right when you said that true friends stand by each other through thick and thin. Guess I was a pretty bad friend to the little guy, despite what he had done."

"I love you." he finally admitted.

"Funny." he chuckled. "I could never say those three words when we're together. Guess you really _do_ appreciate something only when you've lost it."

His musings were cut off when Ami stirred in his arms.

"Guess I don't have to wake you up afterall." he joked as Ami opened her eyes.

"Funny." Ami punched him playfully on the arm.

"Ouch." Koroudo pouted cutely, a look he knew would crack her. "I want you to touch me gently."

"Koroudo!" Ami swatted him as her face heated up, the sexual innuendo not lost to her.

"What?" Koroudo asked innocently. "It's not my fault you were thinking of something else."

Ami slapped her forehead.

Then, she blinked when Koroudo pounced on her and began to tickle her like mad. Her light tinkling laughter rang out in the empty living room as the blond quickly found her ticklish spots and was making _very_ good use of them.

"Do you yield milady?" Koroudo grinned as she writhed beneath him, trying to get free.

Between her laughter, Ami managed to choke out one word, "Never!"

"Then I'm afraid more drastic measure must be taken," Koroudo concluded, laughingly as he swung a leg over her so he was now straddling her, as he increased his tickling ten fold. "Do you yield?"

Ami was now laughing so hard, that she could not form a single syllable. Her cheeks were flushed visibly as she continued to try and get loose.

"You're evil, you know that." she complained, smiling slightly, still a little out of breath after Koroudo relented.

"I know." Koroudo grinned, still above her.

Ami's eyes went wide when the blond swapped down, claiming her lips in a what he called an 'apology' kiss. Koroudo's tongue then trailed across her lower lip, asking for entrance which Ami gingerly allowed. With their bodies still pressed flushed against each other, the reunited couple reconciled.

"So, does this mean we're back together?" Koroudo asked after their small make-out session.

"I suppose so." Ami replied.

"Suppose huh?" Koroudo raised an eyebrow. "I think I can make you change your mind."

"Fine! Goddammit, we _are_ back together!" Ami exclaimed in resignation.

"Good." Koroudo nodded in approval. "And I do believe you have a train to catch." and handed her suitcase over to her.

"Thanks." Ami gave the blond a quick kiss on the cheek. "I promise I'll be back for summer vacation." and hurried to catch her train.

* * *

SailorStar9: The Crush Gear Turbo arc is done, from the next chapter onwards focuses on the Sailor Moon R arc. Read and review.


	7. ARC 2: The Return of the Sailor Senshi

SailorStar9: Chapter 5 goes up. This is Chapter 6.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 6: The Return of the Sailor Senshi

* * *

"I'm going to be late again! I'm leaving!" Usagi wailed, rushing out of her house.

"Usagi! You forgot your bag!" Shingo retorted, bringing his sister's bookbag as the pig-tailed blond fell over her feet.

"That hurts!" Usagi sobbed.

"Hey, Usagi, you crybaby!" Shingo called out to his sister.

"What?" Usagi demanded, running over to her annoying brother.

"Don't cause problems for me." Shingo chided, handing over her bag.

"You're so not cute!" Usagi fumed, sticking out her tongue at her brother.

"Oh, this is no time for that. Need to hurry!" she caught herself and hurried off to school.

"It's been two months since Usagi and the Sailor Senshi lost their memories." Luna remarked, sweatdropping at her charge.

"Everyone's completely gone back to being normal girls." Artemis added.

"Yes, they have." Luna agreed.

"Hey, Luna." Artemis started.

"Huh?" Luna blinked.

"Why don't we also..." the white cat suggested, blushing.

"What are you doing?" Luna retorted.

"Pervert!" she scolded, giving him a scratch on the face, causing the white cat to scream in pan.

* * *

In school...

"Go stand outside" Ms. Haruna shouted at the late Usagi.

"Then, Mizuno-san, please take care of it." Ami's homeroom teacher instructed.

"Yes." Ami replied and stepped out of the classroom.

"Are you being punished again?" she asked Usagi, wiping the blond's tear away with a handkerchief.

"You're that whiz girl in Class 5." Usagi noted. "I wish that cold-hearted Ms. Haruna could be more like you."

"Who is cold-hearted?" Ms. Haruna demanded, sliding the door open.

"Mizuno Ami-san, correct?" the teacher asked, exiting the classroom.

"Oh, yes." Ami replied.

"Nothing good will happen to you if you get involved with Tsukino-san." the teacher advised.

"Hey! Are teachers allowed to say things like that?" Usagi demanded.

Ami gasped when the bracket of water toppled over Ms. Haruna, soaking the teacher.

"Tsukino-san!" Ms. Haruna exploded.

"I'm sorry." Usagi sweatdropped. "This is depressing."

* * *

That night...

"I can't eat anymore... can I have another one?" Usagi slept talked, when a stream of light shone through the window, waking both Usagi and Luna up.

"What? Is it morning already?" Usagi inquired groggily.

"It's an earthquake!" she panicked when a come streaked across the sky, crash-landing onto the street.

* * *

On the street...

The green plant-like pod glowed before floating up and disappearing into an empty apartment unit.

"What in the world happened here?" Artemis wondered outloud as he and Luna looked down at the crater, a crowd of people gathering around the hole.

"Say, I have a bad feeling about this." Luna admitted.

"What?' Artemis turned to his companion as the camera then focused on Rei and Minako.

"Tsukino-san?" Ami inquired.

"What? Oh, Mizuno-san." Usagi blinked.

"Good evening." Ami greeted the blond.

"Wow, I guess even a smart girl like you can't resist rubbernecking!" Usagi beamed.

"Watch what you're doing?" she glared at the person pushing her.

"Sorry, someone pushed me from behind." Makoto apologized.

"You're that Hercules girl who just transferred over." Usagi noted.

"You didn't need to add that 'Hercules' bit." Makoto deathpanned.

"You're scary..." Usagi stammered.

_Huh? It's weird._ She blinked. _When the three of us are together, I feel kind of, nostalgic._

"Wow!" she beamed, noticing the poster she just stepped on. "Snack foods at 80% off? I'm definitely going there!"

"If you keep eating sweets, your body will become a dumpling too." Mamoru pointed out.

"That obnoxious voice sounds familiar..." Usagi turned a side-glance at the college student.

"Hey, dumpling head!" Mamoru greeted her.

"I thought so!" Usagi fumed. "Why do you always call me that!?"

"I just don't want a dumpling head to get a dumpling body." Mamoru replied.

"Mind your own business!" Usagi retorted.

"I am. I'm just telling you the truth." Mamoru replied.

"That's it!" Usagi exploded.

* * *

In the now occupied apartment unit...

"This planet is full of high quality energy." Ali chuckled.

"Our difficult journey here was worth it." Ann agreed.

"What are you thinking, Ann?" Ali asked.

"Ali, I'm thinking of you, of course." Ann replied. "How about you?"

:About you, of course." Ali replied. "I cannot find words to describe your beauty."

"Really?" Ann smiled.

"The hero Pegasus fell in love with the beautiful Andromeda and he risked his life to protect her from monsters. I wish I could be like Pegasus." Ali replied and started playing on his flute as Ann leaned her head on his shoulder.

* * *

The next morning...

"Everyone, allow me to introduce your new classmates." the principal began as two students stood in front of the assembly square. "Seijuro Ginga and Nastumi Ginga. Seijuro is in ninth grade and he is the older brother, while Nastumi is in the eighth grade and she is the younger sister. Please be nice to them."

"Sure." the students chorused.

"He's handsome!" Usagi beamed, with hearts in her eyes. "Such a nice name."

"But Seijuro Ginga sounds too cheesy to be true." Umino remarked.

"Not it's not!" Naru and Usagi retorted.

"It's a perfect name." Naru cooed, with hearts in her eyes.

"Yeah, he's gorgeous!" Usagi agreed.

Ami frowned when a flash of recognition passed by her, the two new students were emitting the very same energy the pod from the night before.

_Looks like Sailor Mercury is back in action._ She thought.

* * *

In class later...

The students were gathered around Nastumi.

"So Nastumi, you just came back from another country." Umino remarked.

"Yes." Nastumi replied.

"That's a returning student for you." Usagi noted.

"So you speak English fluently." Naru commented.

"Hey can you say something to me?" Usagi inquired.

Nastumi let out a series of 'Fera'.

"Huh?" the rest of Usagi's class were confused. Massive sweatdrops all around.

"She's weird." Naru remarked as Usagi let out a nervous laugh.

Then, a flute melody sounded through the entire school.

"What's that?" Naru asked. "It sounds beautiful."

Nastumi frowned as she recognized the melody.

"Mesmerizing..." Usagi was taken in by the music.

"What a nice melody." Naru agreed.

_Ali, your bad habit is starting up again._ Ann warned mentally.

"Wow!" most of the female school population were drawn in by Seijuro's music.

"He's so cool." Usagi beamed.

"Okay then, then I have to do something for Naru, too!" Umino decided.

"Stop it, Umino!" Naru fumed, grabbing Umino's recorder and knocking him on the head with it.

Just then, Seijuro stopped playing, his attention turned to the straight-faced Ami

The crowd of girls parted as he walked towards the blue-haired girl.

"Finally, I have met the Andromeda of my heart." he spoke as Ami frowned at him

"Excuse me..." Naru blushed.

"Naru, be careful." Umino warned, placing himself before the girl..

"Umino!" Naru fumed.

Bowing slightly at the blue-haired genius, Seijuro added, "Please allow me to play a song that describes my feelings for you. Galaxy Fantasy Impromptu No. Five. Beautiful Andromeda's Miracle."

"What?" Umino, Naru and Usagi turned to Ami.

"Ginga-san." Ami replied smoothly.

"Yes?" Seijuro asked.

"I'm taken." the girl answered plainly, showing him the sun-emblem ring on the thread necklace around her neck.

"Oh?" Seijuro acted surprised.

"By the way, you might want to pacify your sister." Ami added.

Seijuro then saw what Ami's last sentence meant when he noticed a very angry Ann glaring at him.

_Ali!_ Ann mentally hissed.

_Oh, Ann._ Ali realized.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Nastumi asked.

"No, nothing." Seijuro replied, returning to class.

* * *

After school...

"You need to keep things like that to a minimum." Seijuro advised his 'sister'.

"That's my line, Ali." Nastumi retorted.

"I know how you feel, but we're just brother and sister in public." Seijuro replied.

"You always start looking at other females right away." Nastumi accused.

Then, her attention was drawn away when she saw Mamoru walking past, his eyes trained on a book.

_He is my ideal man._ She thought, her cheek turning red.

"Please believe in my love." Seijuro added. "There is no way I could love someone as much as I love you."

Then, he stopped when he realized that Nastumi was nowhere beside him. Turning back, he saw his 'sister' trailing after Mamoru like a love-sick schoolgirl.

After walking past Sakio Heights, Mamoru dropped his book and Nastumi was about to get his book for him when suddenly she felt weak and she quickly leaned against a lamp-post.

_Energy... I need energy..._ she thought painfully.

"Ann?" Seijuro had by then caught up with her.

* * *

That night...

_There she goes again._ Luna sweatdropped as Usagi was gushing over the phone to Naru about Seijuro. _But, why do I feel somewhat uneasy?_

* * *

That night, in their apartment, Ali had turned back to his original form and was playing his tune on his flute, a branch of the Makaiju lifting the unconscious Ann up.

"In my heart are the joys and uncertainties of wandering from planet to planet." he told his lover as he continued to play, using the Makaiju to heal Ann.

"What's wrong?" Ann asked, after noticing that the Makaiju had wilted.

"It seems that the life energy we need to survive is running low." Ali replied.

"But this planet is overflowing with life energy." Ann noted.

"Look." she added as images of life forms appeared before them.

"This species has especially fresh energy." she remarked, the images concentrating on humans.

"After wandering everywhere, we have finally found our sanctuary. This is our paradise." Ali commented.

Drawing out some cards, he added, "Ann, please pick the best Cardian for this operation. You can predict the future better than anyone else in the universe."

"Oh my." Ann smiled and lifted out a card.

"The beauty of flowers is short and fleeting, but the strength of their lives..." Ali remarked, looking at the card Ann had picked.

"Stealing energy from flowers is a waste of time." Ann commented. "We must steal from humans. And the energy of young women in love is especially potent."

"What a pity. Can't we steal it from men?"Ali inquired.

"Ali." Ann frowned.

"Okay, we'll do it your way." Ali replied.

"That's my Ali." Ann chuckled.

"Come forth, Cardian. My loyal servant, Vampire." Ali called out and started playing his flute.

"Vampire!" the Cardian declared its presence after being summoned.

* * *

Less than half an hour later, a scream was heard in an alley.

"What?" both Luna and Artemis gasped.

"Vampire..." the Cardian muttered, draining a girl of her energy.

"Vampire!" it declared and jumped off to find its next victim.

"I can't breathe..."

"This is..." Artemis exclaimed when the two cats arrived on scene.

"Someone stole her energy..." Luna realized. "Looks like our worries turned out to be true!"

"What now?" Artemis turned to his companion. "Do you want to revive everyone?"

"No way! We can't do that!" Luna protested. "They just became normal again."

"Then we have no choice." Artemis admitted. "We have to resolve this by ourselves.", but not before another scream alerted them.

"Vampire!" the Cardian declared, taking its next victim.

"What's going on?" Naru inquired opening the window.

"What's the matter?" Usagi asked over the phone.

"Vampire!" the Cardian now turned its attention to Naru.

"Huh? What?" Usagi pressed.

"Vampire!" the Cardian leapt at the stunned Naru.

"Shabon Spray Freezing!" the newly revived Millennial Sailor Mercury fired her ice attack at the Cardian.

"Naru, close the window!" the ice Senshi warned.

"Sailor Mercury?" Luna was surprised at the appearance of the ice Senshi.

"I'll hold him off! Revive Sailor Moon!" Millennial Sailor Mercury instructed.

"Right!" Luna nodded and took off.

"But how...?' Artemis was astonished.

"We'll talk about this later." Millennial Sailor Mercury told the white cat, saving him from the Cardian's vines.

Putting the cat down, the ice Senshi leapt over the Cardian.

"Icycle Rain!" she sent her ice attack at the Cardian in mid-air

"Vampire!" the Cardian swatted her icicles away.

* * *

Back n Usagi's room...

"Usagi!" Luna looked at the blond.

"Holy cow! Why is Luna talking?" Usagi panicked.

"Oh! It's a dream." she tried to calm herself.

"I have no choice!" Luna decided. "Usagi, please forgive me! Please become Sailor Moon again!"

With that, the black cat's crescent moon mark shot a beam onto Usagi's forehead.

Usagi closed her eyes, remembering the final battle against Queen Beryl, the deaths of Tuxdeo Kaman and the Senshi.

_Who... who am I? No! I don't want to fight anymore!_ Usagi wondered. _I just want to be normal. Just normal... no!_

"Usagi." Luna approached the revived Moon Senshi. "Usagi!"

"Luna..." Usagi looked at her guardian. "So, we can talk to each other again."

"Usagi! You remember now!" Luna beamed.

Usagi nodded.

"The people in the city are in danger!" Luna informed her. "Usagi, please transform now and help Mercury!"

"Okay!" Usagi nodded.

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" Usagi called out her henshinn phase.

* * *

Back in the battle...

"Thanks a lot!" Sailor Moon remarked from on top of a roof. "I just became normal again, and you just had to drag me back into the fight without my permission!"

"You're so inconsiderate!" she retorted.

"Vampire!" the Cardian looked at the newcomer.

"I'm the Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Moon declared. "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Vampire!" the Cardian released its vine at her, causing Sailor Moon and Luna to jump away.

Turning towards Sailor Moon, the Cardian tried to entangle her with its vines to no avail.

"Shabon Spray Freezing!" Millennial Sailor Mercury released her ice bubbles, this time at the Cardian's feet and freezing it feet-first.

"Sailor Moon!" the ice Senshi turned to the Moon Senshi.

"Right!" Sailor Moon nodded.

"That's it." she looked at the frozen Cardian, taking off her tiara. "Moon Tiara Action!"

"Vampire!" the Cardian cried out, the magically-charged frisbee flying towards it. "Cleansing!" and changed back into its card form, and the picture on the card turned black.

"Artemis! Are you okay?" Luna asked.

"Yeah..." Artemis replied.

"Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury. I didn't know there were someone like you on this planet." Ali's voice interjected, as a hologram of him and Ann appeared above the Senshi.

"Who are you two?" Sailor Moon inquired.

"A member of the wandering nobility of the universe, Ali." Ali introduced himself.

"Likewise, Ann." Ann added.

"So you are the ones controlling that monster." Millennial Sailor Mercury remarked.

Ann laughed, "What we did today was just the beginning."

"That's right." Ali agreed.

"For the record, what do you call your monsters?" Millennial Sailor Mercury asked.

"Cardians." Ali replied and the two disappeared.

"Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, those guys..." Luna voiced out.

"Sailor Moon?" she blinked at the tearing Moon Senshi.

_Goodbye to the ordinary Usagi._ Sailor Moon wondered as the episode ended.

* * *

SailorStar9: Phew, now that's done. Read and review.


	8. ARC 2: A Sailor Senshi Once Again

SailorStar9: Chapter 6 goes up. This is Chapter 7.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 7: For Love and Justice! A Sailor Senshi Once Again

* * *

The next morning, along the Juuban Shopping District...

Mamoru was walking along the street and stopping at a junction when Usagi suddenly appeared beside him.

"Ma-mo-ru!" the blond chirped.

"What are you doing so suddenly?" Mamoru inquired, when the blond snuggled on his arm.

"You don't have to be so surprised, Mamoru." Usagi remarked.

"How do you know my name, dumpling head?" Mamoru winced.

"Oh, please don't call me dumpling head." Usagi whined. "I have a name, you know? It's Tsukino Usagi."

"Oh, really? So that's your name." Mamoru was bewildered.

"What? Mamoru, you've even forgotten my name?" Usagi blinked.

_I see._ She realized. _His memory wasn't recovered like mine has. Then, he doesn't even remember the passionate love we had in our previous lives?_

"Hey, don't cling to me like that!" Mamoru chided when Usagi tightened her hold on him. "Are you sick or something?"

"That is the handsome man I saw the other day!" Nastumi beamed from the other side of the walkway.

"Tsukino-san, make sure you keep him there!" she shouted over to Usagi as she crossed the road.

"Nastumi?" Usagi blinked.

"Oh, another weird one." Mamoru sweatdropped.

"Let me go! I'll be late for work!" he shook off Usagi.

"Work?" Usagi echoed when Mamoru took off. "Mamoru, where do you work?"

"I don't need to share that with you!" Mamoru replied, running off.

"Oh, but why?" Usagi whined.

"You idiot!" Nastumi grabbed the blond by her wrist. "Why did you let him get away?"

"Let me go!" Usagi struggled against her grip. "Mamoru's getting away!"

"So, his name is Mamoru." Nastumi noted.

"Mamoru, my name is Nastumi Ginga!" she shouted out.

"Hey, what are you thinking?" Usagi fumed. "Mamoru is..."

"He isn't your boyfriend, right?" Nastumi pointed out.

"That's true, but..." Usagi replied.

"Then, we're in the same boat." Nastumi added.

* * *

_Nastumi's daydream_

_Mamoru, I, Nastumi Ginga, will pierce your heart with my passionate Cupid arrows!_

* * *

_She's weird._ Usagi sweatdropped.

* * *

Meanwhile in Usagi's house...

"We don't know if they're our enemy yet," Luna pointed out. "But there's no doubt that danger's coming."

"Even so, I'm against awakening Minako and the rest of the Senshi when they're living so peacefully." Artemis protested.

"I know that," Luna sighed. "But then, how are we going to take care of our current problem? It's worrisome if we only have Usagi and Ami."

"Speaking of which," Artemis turned the the genius girl. "How did you get back your powers?"

"I never lost it." Ami replied simply.

Both cats' eyes widened.

"Every single bit of it?" Artemis squeaked, knowing what she meant.

Ami nodded.

"Don't worry." she assured the two cats. "I'll _try_ to stick to my Level Two attacks so that I won't overshadow Serenity."

_Since I'm also under Pluto's instructions not too anyway._ She added mentally.

The two cats sighed in relief at her proclaim.

"Just let me get one thing straight," Ami looked sternly at the cats. "I'm doing this to guard Earth, not to protect Serenity."

At the two cats' astonished gasps, she added, "I've _not_ forgotten who killed both me and Solaris."

Just then, Usagi burst into the room.

"I'm so worried. Without his old memories, Mamoru won't notice me at all." the blond whined.

"Usagi, now's not the time for that!" Artemis chided.

The two cats sweatdropped when Usagi teared.

"Let's wake up the rest of them afterall." Luna insisted.

"What? You can bring Mamoru's memory back?" Usagi beamed.

"Is he all that you think about?" Ami sighed.

"No!" Luna replied, jumping onto the bed. "I'm talking about restoring the memories of Rei and the rest and having them fight as warriors again."

"What are you talking about?" Usagi chided.

"If you want to protect the Earth, I'm more than enough for that!" she boasted, twirling a ball on her finger.

"You don't need to bother those poor girls." she added, catching the ball after she tossed it up.

"Impressive." Artemis noted.

"Usagi, you've matured since your fight against the Dark Kingdom." he added, jumping onto the bed beside Luna. "You're very well aware of your duties."

"That's right!" Usagi agreed. "I can handle a bad guy or two by myself!"

At that, she swatted the ball towards the window, causing it to bounce back to her.

"I can't really have faith in what she just said." Luna sweatdropped when Usagi fell onto her back.

"I agree." Artemis replied.

* * *

Back in the Juuban Odyssey unit...

"Our fountain of life, the Makaiju." Ail declared.

"Will our stored energy finally run out?" he inquired, when the leaves wilted.

"Oh, what a waste of my energy that was." Ann complained, appearing beside him. "Ali, can I have more energy?"

"Ann, the energy left in the Makaiju is almost gone." Ali informed her.

"Are you serious?" Ann gasped.

"Yes, as we thought, we will need to steal the life energy of the humans on this planet." Ali noted.

"And a lot of it." Ann agreed.

"Come, Ann." Ali presented her with a fan of cards. "Please predict the best Cardian for this operation."

"Okay." Ann nodded and picked out a card.

"Cardian Minotauron." Ali declared once Ann threw the card into the air, the Cardian's image appearing on the card. At his call, the Cardian manifested.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the TV Ashita station...

"These girls are the candidates for the role of Mikan Shiratori's younger sister." the scout remarked in a viewing room.

"Not this girl," he used his pointer to point out Usagi.

"But, this one." he added, pointing to Naru.

"She's not bad." the producer noted. "She looks like a girl next door."

"She's perfect for this drama." he added, the picture switching to Makoto.

"Well, I had a hard time finding them." the scout admitted, the slide switching over to Minako, and Ami.

"Okay then, let's have an audition and pick one!" the producer decided, the slides finally turning to Rei. "You, make the arrangements."

"Yes sir." the scout replied, as Ali and Ann appeared in the darkened room.

"How about these girls?" Ann asked.

"Looks good." Ali replied. "I think we should get quite a bit of energy from them."

"Hey! How did you get in here?" the scout demanded when the lights turned on and seeing the twin aliens. "You're not allowed in here if you're not involved in the project."

"Really? I didn't know that?" Ann faked ignorance. "Excuse us."

Using her powers, she knocked the people inside unconscious.

"I could steal their energy," Ali chuckled. "But there's no need to fill myself up on these guys right before we are about to collect high quality energy."

"Yes. We should just use them for now." Ann agreed.

* * *

The next morning, in school...

"What? Naru, you're appearing in a TV drama?" Usagi exclaimed.

"Keep it down, Usagi!" Naru chided. "Yeah, I'm not sure yet, but the man who scouted me asked me to go for the audition."

"You're something." Usagi awed.

"So, the thing is, Usagi..." Naru started.

"What?" Usagi inquired.

"You know, it seems I always get involved in weird incidents." Naru confessed. "I'm worried that this could be one of those..."

"Don't worry! you'll be alright!" Usagi assured her. "Weird incidents like that are rare."

"You think so?" Naru asked.

"If you want, I can go with you." Usagi offered.

"Really?" Naru beamed, jumping up form her seat and taking Usagi's hands into hers. "I'm so glad! Usagi, you're really my best friend!"

_If I get lucky, maybe I'll get to audition too!_ Was Usagi's _true_ thought. _Then, they'll pick me and I could become a star overnight!_

* * *

Later, outside the studio...

"Oh, Kino-san..." Ami blinked when the pony-tailed Jovian Senshi was about to enter the studio.

"Well, I've heard of it, but I guess even Class' 5 girl genius is going to audition for the TV show." Makoto smiled at the approaching girl.

"Yes, a person from the TV station insisted that I come." Ami replied. "But I'm thinking of turning it down anyway."

"That's kind of a waste." Makoto pointed out.

"Excuse me, are you also here for the audition?" Minako asked, when she and Rei approached the pair.

"Yes." Ami nodded.

"Yeah." Makoto replied.

"Then, why don't we go in together?" Rei offered. "The inside of a TV station is like a maze. We might get lost in there."

"Oh, let me introduce myself." she added. "My name is Hino Rei."

"Okay. My name is Kino Makoto." Makoto remarked.

"I am Mizuno Ami." Ami added.

"And I'm Aino Minako. Nice to meet you." Minako wrapped up the introductions.

"Nice to meet you too." Rei replied.

Just then, the three unawakened Senshi gasped when a flash of recognition raced through their minds.

"Excuse me, but have we met before?" Rei inquired.

"No, this is the first time, I think." Makoto replied.

"But it's sort of strange." Minako admitted. "I don't feel like we just met."

"It's weird, but I have to same feeling." Rei remarked.

"Maybe we've met before in a past life." Ami smiled. "Let's go in, shall we?"

"What? I can't go inside?" Usagi exclaimed incredulously.

"No, you can't." the security guard told her. "Only people here for the audition can go in."

"Oh, come on, Mister. Please, just this once." Usagi whined.

"When I say 'No', it means 'No'." the guard was immanent. "Please go home."

"Sorry, Usagi." Naru muttered as the four girls approached.

"Okay, please wait in this room if you're here for the audition." the guard told the girls.

_It seems like everyone is doing just fine. _Usagi beamed when she saw the four were doing relatively well.

* * *

After some time...

"Thank you for waiting." the producer told the assembled girls. "We will start the audition now."

"Excuse me," Ami stood up. "But I'm thinking about turning down this audition.."

The producer said nothing when he slid open the shade behind him, revealing an ancient Greek background.

"What a great stage set!" Naru awed.

"Do you like this world of mine?" Ali grinned, as he and Ann stood on top of a stone pillar.

"Excuse me, but I don't think I have time to act in a TV drama." Ami voiced out. "So, I am very sorry, but I have to go home now."

"Not so fast!" Ali retorted when Ami was about to head for the exit.

"Come forth, Minotauron!" Ann ordered when Ali played on his flute.

"Minon!" the Cardian declared, manifesting.

"What's that monster?" Minako gasped.

"I thought the audition was for a family drama!" Makoto noted.

"This is a real monster!" Naru remarked, turning back when the Cardian appeared behind Ami.

"Now, Minotauron, steal the energy form these girls!" Ali instructed.

"Minon!" the Cardian cowled as it charged.

"Everyone, run!" Ami shouted, fleeing.

"Good." Ali chuckled at the screaming girls. "Young women's screams are more pleasant than the most beautiful music in the world!"

"Ali, enough of this playing around." Ann scolded. "Let's hurry up and steal their energy."

"Don't be ridiculous Ann!" Ali rebuked. "How can I not take this opportunity to enjoy this artful music?"

"Oh, I don't have the patience for this!" Ann snorted.

"I'll go collect energy from somewhere else then!" she concluded and disappeared, appearing on the ground in her human form.

* * *

Outside...

"Let's see..." Usagi muttered as she searched for the exit. "Oh no!"

"What? We're back in the same place again." Luna sighed.

"It can't be helped!" Usagi protested. "The TV station is like a maze and it's hard to get around!"

"So, we're completely lost!" Luna concluded.

"Oh Tsukino -san, what are you doing here?" Nastumi inquired when she stepped out to see Usagi outside the door.

"Howe about you? What are you doing here?" Usagi demanded.

"I have no obligations to answer that." Nastumi retorted.

"Neither do I!" Usagi shot back, a cat fight ensuing between the two.

"Whoops, excuse me. There we go." Mamoru ran past the arguing girls, carrying a stack of boxes.

"What? That was..." Nastumi blinked. "Mamoru?"

"I got it! He said he was working..." Usagi beamed.

"So, he's working for the TV station." Nastumi concluded.

"Anyway..." Usagi turned to her love rival.

"We must follow him!" Nastumi finished the sentence.

"Mamoru!" Usagi chased after Mamoru, Nastumi following her.

Luna sweatdropped before shivering, "I feel something very eerie."

"What's this suspicious power?" she wondered, entering the audition room.

* * *

Inside...

"This is no good." Ami concluded, the group still running from the Cardian. "At this rate, we're done for!"

"But where's the exit?" Naru asked.

"I can't run anymore." she panted.

"I don't know if I can do this, but it's better than running around." Rei remarked.

"We have no choice but to fight." Makoto agreed, the two preparing to take on the Cardian as Ami and Minako took Naru off.

Tossing her bag at the Cardian, Rei pulled out her anti-evil scroll.

"Rin, Pyo, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen! Begone, evil spirit!" the priestess chanted, placing the charm on the Cardian's forehead. Taking the Cardian's moment of distraction, Makoto grabbed the Cardian by the wrist and threw it over her shoulder.

They're amazing!" Luna was shocked when the Cardian was sent crashing into a concrete pillar. "They're not even Senshi and they're still fighting against evil."

* * *

Outside...

"I have failed." Nastumi muttered, her sight faltering. "I cannot believe I lost sight of Mamoru. It must be because I don't have enough energy."

"I don't care where I get it, I need some energy!" she stepped into Mikan Shiratori's waiting room.

"Don't worry, you won't die." she told the unconscious actress once she took the energy she needed. "You will recover if you just rest a little."

* * *

Back in the audition room...

"Just as I thought, it's not just another evil spirit!" Rei realized.

"Minon!" the Cardian burst out of the rubble.

"Oh, Naru!" Rei gasped when the Cardian jumped over the four and approached Naru.

"No!" Naru screamed in fear.

The Cardian then extended its horns, extracting the girl's energy from her.

Luna then leapt into action, scratching the Cardian's face, causing it to release Naru from its grip.

"Water Sphere!" Ami immediately used a spell to trap the Cardian in a globe of water.

"What?" Ali gasped at the sudden turn of events.

* * *

Outside...

"I can't believe this!" Usagi whined, having lost sight of Mamoru.

"Is the audition already over?" she blinked, entered the fogged up room.

* * *

Inside the audition room...

"What are you all doing?" Ami barked, keeping the Cardian inside her bubble. "You have to hurry up and get out of here!"

"You're right." Makoto agreed as Minako lifted the unconscious Naru onto the Jovian Senshi's back.

"Damn! What's Ann doing now?" Ali spat. "Minotauron, I will leave the rest to you!"

"Minon!" the Cardian cowled, breaking free from Ami's bubble.

"Just as I thought." Ami muttered. "My spells are weakened because I'm not yet transformed."

"What should I do?" Luna pondered when the Cardian broke free. "If I don't do anything, I can't save any of them! Maybe I need to wake them up and turn them into Sailor Senshi again."

"Huh? What's going on here?" Usagi asked.

"Usagi!" Luna looked up at her charge.

"Oh, Luna." Usagi looked down at the cat.

"Good! Hurry up and transform." Luna told her.

"Wait! I really don't understand what's happening!" Usagi exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter! Just hurry!" Luna urged.

"Fine!" Usagi remarked. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

"It's a dead end." Rei growled when the group stopped.

"Hold it right there!" Sailor Moon declared, just as the Cardian was about to finish off the trapped girls. "I have no idea what's going on, and I'm clueless but..."

"It doesn't mater." Luna sighed.

"I can never ever forgive someone who bullies girls! In the name of the moon, I will punish you." Sailor Moon announced, striking her pose.

"Minon!" the Cardian extended its horns at her.

"Oh, that's..." Makoto gasped.

"There's something at the back of my mind," Minako added. "But I can't remember what it is."

"I will turn you back into a good girl!" Sailor Moon told the Cardian.

"Huh?" she blinked, when the Crescent Moon Wand did not appear. "The Crescent Moon Wand..."

"Oh, right. Back then..." she remembered the final fight against Beryl.

"Minon!" the Cardian attacked.

"What is she doing? She just keeps running away!" Rei rebuked when Sailor Moon dodged the rapid horn attacks. "I guess I have to take care of..."

"What am I saying?" she blinked, stopping herself in mid-sentence.

"Rei? Everyone?" Luna was astonished. "They're remembering parts of their past from seeing Sailor Moon!."

Now having Sailor Moon trapped against a wall, the Cardian proceeded to drain her energy.

"I'm losing my strength." Sailor Moon muttered, weakening.

"Minon!" the Cardian declared, lifting the weakened Moon Senshi up with its horns.

"'I'm more than enough for that!'" Luna quoted as she ran towards the girls. "Yeah right!"

"The cat talked!" Minako gasped.

"Here we go again." Ami sighed.

"Luna, give everybody's memories back!" she instructed.

"Right." Luna nodded.

"Nimble Fire!" Ami called forth a spell speeding towards the Cardian, pulling out her henshinn pen in the process.

"I have no choice now." Luna admitted. "Everyone, please help Sailor Moon and Mercury."

"Help?" Minako echoed.

In response, the light from Luna's crescent mark split into three shining onto the three girls' foreheads, their respective Planetary symbols appearing on their foreheads and awakening them.

_Usagi... No, Sailor Moon!_ Rei gasped mentally.

_I remember everything now!_ Minako added.

_We're Senshi... Senshi who protect the Princess!_ Makoto mused.

_Yes we are. Why did we forget that?_ Minako agreed.

"Mars Power!" Rei raised her henshinn pen.

"Jupiter Power!" Makoto followed suit.

"Venus Power!" Minako cried out.

"Make Up!" the three chorused.

"Was about time." Ami remarked at the three familiar lights. "My turn."

"Millennial Mercury Power, Make Up!" she shouted.

The Cardian laughed as it continued to drain Sailor Moon's energy.

"Icy Fog!" Millennial Sailor Mercury released a icy cold mist, obstructing the Cardian's vision.

Sailor Mars took this opportunity to grab Sailor Moon.

"Supreme Thunder!" Sailor Jupiter released her attack, electrocuting the Cardian.

"Fire..." Sailor Mars charged up her attack

"Crescent..." Sailor Venus charged up her energy.

"Soul!" Sailor Mars released her fireball.

"Beam!" Sailor Venus fired her energy beam.

"Cleansing!" the Cardian screamed, destroyed by the combo attack, it's card landed on the ground, the image turning black.

"We did it!" the girls beamed.

"Damn it! I didn't know there were five Sailor Senshi!" Ali growled, appearing before the victorious girls.

"We won't forget this!" Ann swore, the two disappearing.

"Everyone!!" Sailor Moon beamed, turning to the rest.

"You still can't do anything without us." Sailor Mars noted.

"We just can't leave you alone." Sailor Jupiter agreed.

"By the way," Sailor Venus looked at Millennial Sailor Mercury. "Ami, is it me, or do you look different?"

"Sailor Venus is right." Sailor Jupiter agreed.

Now that they were close enough, the four Senshi could take a closer look at Millennial Sailor Mercury's fuku. While the changes Ami had experienced had been minor, in her Senshi form, they were rather drastic. Her skirt had lengthened slightly, and where the circlet had been on the bow on her chest was now a symbol of Mercury. Her hair was had become completely blue, and the small gem at her brow had been replaced by a simple but fuller crown, with a flawless sapphire set in the center.

"Mercury?" Sailor Mars asked.

"Yes, Mars?" Millennial Sailor Mercury questioned.

"What happened to you?" Sailor Jupiter asked for everybody.

"Oh. This?" Millennial Sailor Mercury grinned. "I got my memories back. My Silver Millennium ones, I mean."

* * *

The next day, at Hikawa Shrine...

"That drama ended up getting canceled because Mikan Shiratori collapsed from exhaustion." Minako informed the group.

"Oh really. that's too bad." Ami remarked. "I'm happy because I can focus on my studies, though."

But I have to fight with Usagi again." Rei complained. "I'm so unlucky."

"Sorry everyone." Luna replied. "If Usagi were more dependable, you could have kept your peaceful lives."

"Well, a new enemy showed up and so there was no choice." Makoto waved the cat's worries aside. "It's our mission to protect the Earth from harm."

"Right." the the Planetary Senshi nodded in agreement.

"That's right!" Usagi beamed.

"Obviously, she's not reflecting on what she's done." Luna sighed.

"Now, the only thing left is to bring Mamoru's memory back!" Usagi decided.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	9. ARC 2: The Moonlight Knight Appears

SailorStar9: Chapter 7 goes up. This is Chapter 8.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 8: For Whom is the White Rose? The Moonlight Knight Appears

* * *

Sometime later at a train station at night...

"Please Ami! Have pity for this lost little bunny!" Usagi begged. "Predict what's going to be on tomorrow's test, please!"

"Usagi!" Ami chided.

"Thanks, Ami!" Usagi beamed.

"Even if I were to give you all the answers right now, if you don['t understand them, you'll still be in trouble later." Ami advised.

"But the test from Hell is tomorrow, and I've been failing everything." Usagi wailed. "I'm feeling like ' a drowning man will grasp at a rope'!"

"Minako's rubbing off you." Ami sighed. "Usagi, it's a straw, no a rope."

"Usagi, I think you['re asking too much of her." Makoto chided.

"Then, why did you come with me, Mako?" Usagi accused.

"Oh, well. I figured if I asked Ami, I'd be all set for tomorrow's test, too!" Makoto replied sheepishly, causing the genius to sweatdrop.

"Usagi! Mako! We'll be in ninth grade next year!" Ami scolded. "We have to be more responsible!"

"I should be ashamed of myself." Makoto sighed.

"Well, I'll worry about it when I become a ninth grader." Usagi smiled. Just then, the three girls were alerted by a scream.

* * *

In a park nearby...

A pink lion Cardian had appeared.

"Falion!" the Cardian declared, charging at Shinozaki . In the sky, a black wheel spun and draining t Shinozaki of his energy.

"Wait!" Makoto demanded.

"Mako, don't come!" Shinozaki warned.

"Oh, Shinozaki!" Makoto gasped.

"Falion!" the Cardian leapt to attack.

"Mako! Mako!" Shinozaki shouted, pushing the Jovian Senshi aside.

"Shinozaki!" Makoto gasped when the boy tumbled over, crashing his head into the concrete.

"Falion!" the Cardian attacked once more.

"Mako!" Ami gasped.

"Bubble Lift!" she quickly called out an energy bubble to trap the Cardian. Suddenly, the Cardian disappeared into the wheel and the wheel vanished.

"Shinozaki!" Makoto's worried shout snapped Usagi and Ami out of their musings.

"Mako?" the two girls chorused.

"Shinozaki! Shinozaki!" Makoto tried to shake the unconscious teen awake.

* * *

In the hospital...

"Please let us through!" Makoto hurried in after Ami had healed Shinozaki's wounds partially with a 'Ever Fight' spell.

"Hurry, we need Type O blood!" the head nurse told her subordinates.

"Head Nurse, we don't have enough Type O blood!" a nurse informed her.

"Find more quickly!" the head nurse instructed.

"Yes, madam!" the nurse replied.

"Oh, I'm Type O. please take some of mine!" Makoto requested.

"We don't have a moment to lose! Please hurry." the head nurse remarked.

"Yes!" Makoto nodded.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Juuban Odyssey...

As Ail played his flute, the Cardian had returned with the energy it had collected. With the wheel turning below it, the energy was then transferred over to the Makaiju. In response, the tree's leaves regenerated. A single drop of life energy dropped onto Ann and she revered in the regenerative power. Its job done, the Cardian returned to its card form.

_A spinning wheel that spins people's happiness and unhappiness._ Ail mused. _No one can stop the turning of fate._

"Well, we managed to survive today." Ann noted. "It was an easy victory."

"But Ann, we shouldn't get too confident." Ail pointed out. "Remember those beautiful Sailor Senshi who..."

"Beautiful?" Ann echoed.

"Terrible enemies have appeared, five of them." Ail coughed and corrected himself.

"Everyone on this Earth is our enemy." Ann reminded him.

"Yes. We must take care that no one here finds out who we really are." Ail agreed.

"You're the only one I can depend on." Ann reached out her hand.

"You too, Ann." Ail took her hand. Pulling her close, the alien lovers kissed.

* * *

In the hospital...

Makoto looked over to the unconscious Shinozaki as she transferred her blood to him.

"Mako, are you okay?" Ami asked.

"If you get anemic, I can switch." Usagi offered.

"Thank you, both of you." Makoto told them. "There's a test tomorrow. You two go on home."

"Don't worry. I study hard everyday." Ami replied. "So, I don't need to cram the night before a test."

"Me, too." Usagi added. "Even if I cram tonight, it won't make any difference anyway."

"Mako." Ami started, recognizing Makoto's expression when she looked over at Shinozaki. "Who is he?"

"Someone important to me." Makoto replied.

"Someone..." Usagi echoed.

"Important?" Ami finished the sentence.

"Whenever I need someone, he's always there." Makoto explained. "That's him. I don't remember exactly, but it was when I was dumped by my boyfriend. Who knows how many time I got dumped before that? The person who gently put an umbrella over my head was Shinozaki, my childhood friend. Ever since I was little, whenever I was in pain r having a hard time, he was always there when I looked up. It was the same thing tonight. He tried to save me when he was the one in danger."

"In short, both of you are really in love?" Usagi beamed.

"Usagi!" Ami chided.

"No, but maybe he's far, far more precious to me than even a lover." Makoto replied.

"Mako..." Usagi muttered.

"I know how that feels." Ami let out a wistful smile, fingering the ring around her neck.

* * *

Later that night...

"I'll do it too!" Usagi promised, as she concentrated on revising. "I'll restore Mamoru's memory with my power!"

"Sorry for interrupting your studies." Luna interjected. "But we decided to get together tomorrow after school at the Hikawa Shrine to talk about what happened today."

"Hey, are you listening?" the cat pressed, when Usagi remained silent.

"The test is tomorrow!' she sweatdropped, when she saw that Usagi had been drawing pictures of Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion, instead of studying. "I bet you're going to fail again."

_Mako, I hope Shinozaki gets better soon._ Usagi prayed.

* * *

The next day at Hikawa Shrine...

"We've found out that the enemy's going after human life energy." Luna started the meeting.

"The Dark Kingdom was destroyed." Artemis pointed out. "So, we should assume these recent incidents mean a new evil has appeared."

"This evil aura... it's different from the ones before." Rei noted.

"It seems like this could be related to that incident two weeks ago when that strange light plummeted to Earth." Ami added.

"It doesn't matter who they are!" Makoto slammed her fist on a pillar. "I will bring them down with my bare hands!"

"Okay, but please don't bring down my house!" Rei sweatdropped.

"How's Shinozaki doing?" Ami inquired.

"He's still in bed, and he can't get up yet." Makoto replied.

"I see." Ami noted.

"But Usagi sure is late." Luna pointed out.

"She does have that test, so she's studying at home..." Minako noted.

"Um, I guess there's no way she's doing that." she corrected herself.

"No way!" Luna shook her head and sweatdropped.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"I'm late! I'm such an idiot!" Usagi berated herself as she hurried to the meeting.

_That's..._ she blinked when she saw Nastumi with Mamoru. _Again!? Didn't she learn anything from last time?_

"Mamoru, there's a wonderful disco in the next town over." Nastumi held Mamoru's hands. "Let's go there together."

"Disco? You're pretty strange for a young person these day." Mamoru pulled his hands back.

"Then how about karaoke?" Nastumi suggested. I am very good at it."

"In the moonlight, I look up at the sky..." she begun to sing.

"Is something wrong?" she blinked when Mamoru sighed.

"Hey., stop right there!" Usagi placed herself in-between the two.

"Dumpling head, what's with the angry look?" Mamoru inquired.

"Mamoru. Please remember." Usagi turned to him.

"Once upon a time," she begun, showing him the pictures she had drawn the previous night. "There was a Prince on Earth named Endymion. And the Prince fell in love with the Moon Princess, Serenity. But then, they were attacked by the evil Dark Kingdom and were separated. After that, Endymion disguised himself as Tuxedo Kaman, and he protected Serenity from the bad guys. And the two of them were..."

"How silly!" Nastumi cut in.

"What are you doing?" Usagi fumed.

"You're too old to tell fairy tales!" Nastumi mocked. "Don't you think so, Mamoru?"

"Mamoru..." she blinked when Mamoru had disappeared.

"Oh! Wait! Mamoru!" she called out, running after him when the two girls noted that Mamoru had walked off.

_Mamoru... as I expected, he didn't remember his past._ Usagi mused. _Nastumi is pretty. What should I do if he falls in love with Nastumi?_

* * *

Back in the Hikawa Shrine's Fire Reading room...

"It's him!" Makoto frowned as Ami gasped when the flames conjured up the Cardian from the previous night.

"It's producing an evil aura!" Rei reported.

"Damn it! He's the one who hurt Shinozaki." Makoto hissed.

"He's looking for his next victim!" Rei replied, repeating what the fire told her.

"This way!" she instructed.

"I'm out of breath." Usagi panted when she finally reached the Hikawa Shrine.

"Hey, why is everybody transformed?" she blinked when she saw the transformed Senshi running down the stairs.

"Usagi, let's go!" Millennial Sailor Mercury told her after the other three ran past.

"What? To where?" Usagi inquired.

"Hurry!" Millennial Sailor Mercury urged, taking off.

"You could have at least tell me why." Usagi sighed. "I know it's my fault that I'm late, but..."

"You're such a slowpoke! Hurry up or we'll leave you behind!" Sailor Mars fumed.

"Okay!" Usagi flailed. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

"Wait!" Sailor Moon called out as she ran off with the others.

"This aura is very strong! I can feel it!" Sailor Mars remarked.

"This side is darker. I bet it picked this place for an easy attack!" Millennial Sailor Mercury reasoned.

"Sailor Jupiter, are you okay?" Sailor Moon asked when the Jovian Senshi leaned against a lamp=post, the aftereffects of donating her blood kicking in.

"Yes." the green Senshi replied. "We have to hurry."

"I think you're suffering from anemia." Sailor Moon told her. "Because you gave so much blood last night. You're going to get sick at this rate! Please, go home and rest!"

"I'll be fine." Sailor Jupiter assured her.

"You can't fight in this condition!" Sailor Moon insisted. "So, please go home tonight!"

"I know I'm a slowpoke and I'm always running away." she added. "But I'll work twice as hard today for you."

"Sailor Moon..." Sailor Jupiter mumbled.

"Please, Jupiter. I don't want you to die!" Sailor Moon pleaded.

"Thanks, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Jupiter smiled. "But, I don't want anyone else to end up like Shinozaki! So I have to make sure I beat that monster!"

"Okay, I won't try to stop you anymore." Sailor Moon relented. "But, please... don't push yourself too much."

"Okay, I promise." Sailor Jupiter replied. "Come on, let's go!"

"Oh shoot!" Sailor Moon gasped and took off after the Jovian Senshi.

* * *

Meanwhile, Koroudo was on his way home when he felt a sudden jolt in his heart.

"Not again..." he muttered, clutching his chest and walked into an alley.

"What is going on..." He muttered, then the pain on his chest vanished. Though he was not Koroudo Marume anymore. Solaris Knight summoned his sword, transforming into his battle armor in the process and teleported towards the place of the battle. He knew Millennial Sailor Mercury needed help, and his mission was to protect her.

Unlike Tuxedo Kaman who wore a black tuxedo with a white shirt, white tie, and mask, along with a long cape and top hat, Solaris Knight's suit was different. He wore a golden form-fitting suit with sun-bright boots and belt.

As Solaris Knight teleported into battle, he did not notice a green haired woman looking at him from around a corner.

_First Chiba Mamoru and now Koroudo Marume. Everything's going as planned. I just hope they can beat this enemy and the ones to come_. She rose her hand, and a strange key-shaped staff appeared on it. A moment later, she was gone.

* * *

"Falion!" the Cardian growled as it approached a terrified couple. "Falion!"

"Hey, wait!" Sailor Jupiter demanded, appearing alongside with the other Senshi. "Everyone was studying so hard for tomorrow's test! I won't forgive you for interfering with our studies!"

"Oh, Sailor Jupiter!" Millennial Sailor Mercury blinked when the thunder Senshi dashed into battle.

"Supreme...!" Sailor Jupiter charged up her attack.

"Falion!" the Cardian growled, unleashing a wave of dark energy at the Senshi, throwing Sailor Jupiter to the ground.

"Jupiter!" Sailor Mars gasped, the three Planetary Senshi gathered around the fallen Senshi.

"Hand in there!" Sailor Venus urged.

"Sailor Jupiter!" Sailor Moon called out, hurrying to the battlefield.

"How dare you?" Sailor Mars hissed.

"Ever Fight!" Millennial Sailor Mercury used the spell to restore some of Sailor Jupiter's energy and heal her wounds.

"Rin, Pyo, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen! Begone, evil spirit!" Sailor Mars chanted, tossing her anti-evil scroll at the Cardian who simply slashed the paper into pieces.

"Jupiter! Sailor Jupiter! Hold on!" Sailor Moon begged.

"Crescent Beam!" Sailor Venus released her energy beam.

"Falion!" the Cardian unleashed its energy wave again, knocking the three Planetary Senshi to the ground.

"Sailor Mars! Mercury! Venus!" Sailor Moon gasped.

You're bad." she turned to the Cardian. "Attacking everyone without giving a reason! In the name of the moon, Sailor Moon will punish you!"

"Falion!" the Cardian roared.

"Falion!" it released it energy wave at Sailor Moon.

The Moon Senshi squeaked and took off running for her life.

"Falion!" the Cardian growled as it targeted Sailor Moon.

"Oh, it's so scary!" Sailor Moon wailed as the Cardian licked its lips.

"Honor Guard!" Millennial Sailor Mercury quickly called forth a forcefield in front of Sailor Moon as a white rose was thrown before the Cardian's feet.

"Could that be..." Sailor Moon beamed.

"Tonight's moon is perfect for lovers." the Moonlight Knight remarked from a tree branch "It is not a night suitable for horrifying monsters."

"It can't be... it can't be..." Sailor Moon was stunned. "Who are you?"

"I am..." the Moonlight Knight replied. "The Moonlight Knight."

"Moonlight Knight?" Sailor Moon echoed. _Endymion?_

"Falion!" the Cardian roared, leaping at the intruder. "Falion!"

"Moonlight Knight-sama!" Sailor Moon gasped in horror.

"Stop the cycle of your miserable life!" Solaris Knight declared, jumping into the scene and reaching his left hand forward, as the air in front of it seemed to shiver.

"Sun..." he begun, his hand glowed with energy for a second then he swung it up and finished his attack cry, "Pressure Wave!" An almost invisible wave of energy shot through the air, disintegrating the wheel.

The Cardian growled in pain as it fell to the ground.

"Who are you?" Sailor Moon turned to Solaris Knight.

The Knight plainly ignored her as he approached the fallen Millennial Sailor Mercury.

"Sailor Moon." the Moonlight Knight started. "When the time comes, we are certain to have a chance to converse. I will look forward to it."

"Adieu." he added, disappearing from the battlefield.

"Moonlight Knight-sama..." Sailor Moon gashed.

"Damn, what's going on?" Sailor Jupiter cursed when she woke up.

"Watch out, Sailor Moon!" she shouted a warning when the Cardian got up.

Sailor Moon screamed when the Cardian leapt at her.

"Gravity Hold!" Solaris Knight unleashed an invisible wave of energy, puling the Cardian down to the ground.

"Jupiter, hit it!" he called out.

"Right!" Sailor Jupiter nodded.

"I'll never forgive you!" the Senshi of Jupiter retorted.

"My guardian, Jupiter!" she chanted. "Brew a storm! Call the clouds! Bring down the lightning!"

"Supreme Thunder!" she released her lightning attack just as Dragon Solaris recalled his energy cage.

"Cleansing!" the Cardian growled as it was destroyed. Returning to its card form, the card turned black.

Sailor Jupiter sank to her knees in exhaustion after the battle.

"Sailor Jupiter!" Sailor Moon gasped.

"I'm okay, Sailor Moon." Sailor Jupiter told her. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Sailor Jupiter, thank you!" Sailor Moon hugged her.

"Oh?" Sailor Venus blinked when the others stood up.

"It seems it's over already." Sailor Mars noted.

"You came." Millennial Sailor Mercury smiled when Solaris Knight pulled her up, an arm around her waist.

"Naturally." Solaris Knight replied.

"You used your energy to heal Jupiter, didn't you?" he told the Ice Senshi.

Not waiting for her reply, he summoned a 'Ever Fight' spell, healing her injuries.

* * *

The next day...

"Aren't you glad that Shinozaki recovered?" Ami inquired as she, Usagi and Makoto watched from behind one of pillars of the hospital's entrance as Shinozaki was accompanied out of the hospital with his mother.

"Yeah..." Makoto replied.

"Hey Mako." Usagi turned to the taller girl. "Aren't you going to say hi to Shinozaki?"

"It's okay." Makoto told her. "He's always watching over me from a distance. So, I'll just stay here today..."

* * *

That night...

_What's really going on between Mako and Shinozaki?_ Usagi wondered in bed. _I wonder, could a friendship really exist between a boy and a girl that's different from love?_

_That knight has to be Endymion._ She added, an image of the Moonlight Knight appearing in her mind._ But, then, why? I don't get it._

"Usagi, you know you have a math test tomorrow." Luna snapped the blond out of her musings as she presented a textbook in front of her charge. "I hope you can solve this problem."

"I have no idea!" Usagi whined. "This is much harder than the relationship between boys and girls!"

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	10. ARC 2: The Tiara Doesn’t Work

SailorStar9: Chapter 8 goes up. This is Chapter 9.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 9: Usagi's Crisis! The Tiara Doesn't Work

* * *

Time passes...

"Usagi!" Ikuko fumed. "How long are you gonna sleep?"

"Get up!" she ordered, tugging at the blanket.

"Today's a day off!: Usagi whined when she tumbled out of bed.

"What are you saying? it's such a nice day." Ikuko scolded. "Your papa and Shingo got up long ago and left already."

"No, I'm so sleepy!" Usagi whined. "Mom, you're so mean!"

_Oh boy..._ Luna sweatdropped when the blond dropped off to sleep again.

* * *

In the Juuban Odyssey...

"The Makaiju didn't gather as much energy as I thought." Ann remarked, stroking the tree. "It's all because of those Sailor Senshi."

"The Makaiju is the source of our life." Ali added, appearing at the door. "If the Makaiju dies, so will we."

"Ail..." Ann begun, exiting form the room they kept the Makaiju.

"'Virtual Reality Theater, now open in the Juuban Shopping District.'" she quoted from the poster Ail just slammed down on the table.

"It could be a great place for the Cardian to collect human energy." Ail proposed.

"Let's go out to town, Ail." Ann suggested, knowing what he was thinking. "In search of fresh energy."

* * *

In front of the shopping center...

"So, that's the vertical reel something, something..." Usagi noted.

"The virtual reality theater!" Luna corrected, sweatdropping.

"I know that!" Usagi retorted at the cat on her shoulder. "It's just like a gigantic arcade! At the arcade, I was known as the 'Goblin Queen'! Now, I have to show off my skills!"

"I invited Rei and everybody, but it looks like they're not here yet." Luna noted as the blond rushed to join the queue.

"There're all couples here..." Usagi sighed once she reached the long line. "Let's go home, Luna. it's just a war game anyway."

"That's why it's good!" Luna protested. "You don't remember how to be a Senshi at all, so this is the best place to develop a combative spirit!"

"No, no, no!" Usagi whined.

"But, if I could be with Mamoru, I would think about it." she swooned as Luna sighed.

"Hey, Luna!" she demanded. "I bet you actually know how to restore Mamoru's memory, don't you? Tell me!"

"Will this help, Luna?" she shook the cat. "How's this, and this, and this!"

"Just because you're not with a boyfriend, doesn't mean you should take it out on your cat." Mamoru chided.

"Oh!" Usagi blushed.

"If you don't have anyone to date, why don't you go to the library like a normal junior high student; dumpling head?" Mamoru suggested.

"How dare you! I do have someone to date!" Usagi fumed, dropping Luna in the process.

"Oh, well, excuse me." Mamoru remarked.

"What's this? He's also going in by himself." Usagi noted when she saw Mamoru head towards the end of the queue. "That means this is my chance!"

"All right! I won't give up until I win! let's go!" she decided.

_Why can't she be that tenacious when she's fighting?_ Luna sweatdropped when Usagi took off after Mamoru.

"Sir, please get in line." the attendant told Seijuro who had apparently cut in.

Seijuro frowned, using his powers to hypnotize the attendant.

"What are you doing? Why should I date somebody like you?" Nastumi demanded, after giving a male student a slap across the face.

"Hey! don't be so stuck up!" the student hissed.

"Quit pestering girls." Mamoru intervened. "It's pitiful."

"What did you say?" the student retorted.

"Damn it!" he snorted and walked off when Mamoru remained unfazed by his gaze.

"Mamoru! You saved me!" Nastumi glomped him. "Thank you! I shall never forget this! To show my appreciation, I shall spend the day with you!"

"What?" Mamoru blinked in astonishment.

"Hold it! Mamoru!" Usagi cut in.

"Nastumi, what are you doing?" Seijuro asked his 'sister' who was fighting over Mamoru with Usagi

"Seijuro..." Nastumi let out a nervous laugh.

"Oh, Usagi-san..." Seijuro blinked at the blond clinging onto Mamoru.

"Seijuro, this is Chiba Mamoru." Nastumi introduced. "He will be joining us today."

"Oh no, I didn't..." Mamoru protested.

"In that case, I shall accompany you as well!" Usagi cut in.

"Tsukino-san!" Nastumi fumed.

"Nastumi!" Seijuro chided. "This is not a game!"

"It will be better this way because we will not stand out." Nastumi reminded him.

"But I don't know." Seijuro remarked.

"Let's go. This way." Nastumi ignored her 'brother' and jumped Mamoru again.

"Well, I guess this turn of events isn't too bad." Seijuro noted when the two girls dragged Mamoru off.

"Hey! Get in line!" the people in the front line shouted when the four approached the entrance.

"You guys are cheating!" another protested.

"Special VIP guests, welcome." the door attendant told the group.

"I'm so lucky! let's go, Mamoru!" Usagi beamed.

"Usagi!" Luna sighed. "I can't believe this."

"Luna!" Minako called out, the four girls approaching the cat.

"Oh, here they are." Luna broke out into a smile.

* * *

Inside the arcade...

"Go!" Shingo fired at the virtual monster that had appeared onscreen when Kenji panicked.

"What is this?" Kenji inquired.

"Oh! I'm so scared, Mamoru!" Nastumi squealed.

"Excuse me! That is very unladylike of you!" Usagi retorted.

"It was just an accident." Nastumi shot back.

"Usagi?" Kenji turned to see his daughter behind them.

"Huh? Dad! Shingo!" Usagi gasped. "Why do you get to come here with Dad by yourself, Shingo?"

"Leave me alone!" Shingo protested. "You can't play high-tech games anyway."

"Don't just assume that!" Usagi pounded his head in.

As the game raged on, the booth Mamoru, Usagi and Nastumi were in shook violently, knocking Nastumi off and Usagi into Seijuro's arms.

"Seijuro..." Nastumi blinked.

"Oh, it was an accident." Seijuro apologized.

"Excuse me..." Usagi laughed nervously, the two breaking apart.

"Usagi." Kenji whispered to his daughter.

"I trust you. Remember, I trust you!" he whispered.

"You know..." Usagi fumed.

* * *

Back outside...

"How long do we need to wait?" Makoto complained.

"As they say, 'everything comes to he who wants'." Minako misquoted.

"It should be 'everything comes to he who waits'." Ami corrected, causing the three girls to sweatdrop.

* * *

Back inside...

Kenji and Shingo strapped on their protective gear as they prepared to enter the next stage.

"The cool schoolboy superhero, 'Sneakers Shingo'." Shingo declared. "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Dad, we did it!" he beamed, once the father-son pair destroyed a couple of monsters with their guns.

"Yeah!" Kenji agreed.

_I wonder if Usagi is okay?_ He wondered.

Elsewhere, Nastumi fired at a monster which had appeared in front of the group.

"Wow, I hit it!" she beamed, snuggling against Mamoru.

"See? See? See? See?" she prodded, ignoring a fuming Usagi.

"Dad!" she blinked, before sighing. "And Dad said he trusted me."

"I have no choice." Nastumi whispered to her 'brother'. "Or else it would look suspicious."

Suddenly another monster appeared and the two males fired at it simultaneously. Mamoru frowned at the smirking Seijuro, an 'Alpha-male' battle for dominance was in the wake.

As another group of monsters appeared, the two males fired at their targets, destroying them in an instant. Then, the two turned and fired at the group of monsters behind them.

"Wow! Both of them are so cool!" Usagi swooned.

"Just as I thought, he's good." Nastumi noted.

"Okay, me too then!" Usagi decided and fired at a monster beside her.

"My, you are so good!" Nastumi mocked when Usagi missed her target.

"Such barbaric games are not to my taste, you see." Usagi quickly covered up.

"Really?" Nastumi challenged. "But winning is what gives everything meaning. You are so honest to admit defeat right from the start."

"What did you say?" Usagi fumed.

"Ouch!" the two broke apart, a laser beam coming in between them to destroy a monster that had appeared behind them.

"Oh, we could stay like this longer, if you prefer." Nastumi hugged Mamoru.

"I'm sorry, but I'll decline." Mamoru shot her down. "You can't win someone's heart by being so pushy."

"I agree completely! Mamoru, you're the man!" Usagi agreed, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh! No!" she shrieked when a monster appeared behind her.

"Dumpling Head!" Mamoru called out to the fleeing girl. "A girl like you with no sense of direction will just get lost!"

After Mamoru took off after Usagi, Nastumi fired an energy beam from her finger and destroyed another virtual monster.

"Love is something you have to take by force, right?" she grinned.

At Seijuro's frown, she quickly corrected herself, "Oh, my body needs more energy. I'm afraid I can't go on anymore."

"That's why I told you this is not a game!" Seijuro retorted.

"Please don't say it like that." Nastumi pleaded. "It's time to commence our operation!"

* * *

Outside...

"Ten more people." Rei remarked, noticing the line was getting shorter.

* * *

Inside...

"Please pick the best Cardian for this place!" Ali told his companion.

With her finger, Ann lifted a card from the card fan.

"Come forth! Cardian Hell Ant!" Ail commanded, playing on his flute to summon his monster.

"Ant! Ant! Ant! Hell Ant!" the Cardian manifested.

"It's like we're walking in circles." Shingo remarked.

"Where is Usagi? Where did she go?" Kenji inquired, worried.

"What could that be?" Shingo asked his father, upon hearing the screams of the people inside the arcade as Hell Ant drained their energy.

"An! Ant! Ant!" the Cardian chanted, draining the players with its tentacles.

"Ant!" it declared, one of its male victim's laser beams barely fazing it.

"Wonderful." Ann remarked as the two aliens watched from above.

"It looks so real!" Shingo gasped.

"Doesn't it look too realistic?" Kenji inquired.

"Ant!" the Cardian now turned to the two.

"Ant!" it hollered.

Elsewhere, Usagi and Mamoru sweatdropped when Usagi missed all of her targets.

"Darn it! Darn it! Darn it! Darn it!" the blond cursed.

"It must be a special talent to be able to miss this many targets." Mamoru sighed, relinquishing the monsters easily. Turning back, he fired at the monster that had appeared.

"Wow! You're so cool!" Usagi swooned.

"Let's go, dumpling!" Mamoru reached out.

"If I play, I want to get the highest score!" he added, pulling Usagi along.

"This is it! It has to be like this!" Usagi beamed, as Mamoru fired at the appearing monsters as they ran.

"Okay! Let's go!" Mamoru told her.

"I'm so happy." Usagi swooned, as she imagined Tuxedo Kaman holding onto her hand, the Moonlight Knight holding onto the other.

"Sis! Sis!" Shingo snapped her out of her daydream. "Sis!"

"Shingo! Why did it have to be you? Usagi scolded. "Go away!"

"Sis, Dad's in trouble!" Shingo told her.

"What's wrong?" Mamoru asked.

"Something's wrong with the monsters!" Shingo replied. "Even when I shoot them, they don't disappear."

"What?" Usagi gasped.

"Okay, you guys stay here." Mamoru told the sibling pair and took off.

"Mamoru!" Usagi called out.

"Wait!" Shingo added. "I'll show you where he is! My dad's in danger!"

"Okay!" Mamoru looked at the youngster.

"Shingo!" Usagi whined.

"I'm a man! Sis, you stay here!" Shingo told her.

"What? What does he take his sister for?" Usagi blinked as the two took off. "Just when everything was going so perfect!"

"No, now's not the time for that!" she composed herself and ran after them.

* * *

Outside...

"Okay, the next two, you may enter now." the door attendant ushered the next in line in.

"Three more to go." Rei noted.

* * *

Inside...

"Ant!" the Cardian growled.

"I'm not interested in your life." Ail told the terrified Kenji. "Just relax and rest for a while."

The Cardian then removed Kenji's laser gun after he fired at ti to no avail.

"Ah! Ouch!" he tripped over his feet when the cable that connected his gun to the backpack snapped.

"Dad!" Shingo gasped.

"Ant!" the Cardian growled when Mamoru tossed his backpack on the back of its head before it could attack Kenji.

"Shingo!" Kenji turned to his son.

"Damn monster!" Mamoru growled.

"Ant! Ant!" the Cardian released its vines at the two. Mamoru dived to the ground to protect Shingo from the attack.

"Shingo, run!" Kenji called out.

"Ant!" the Cardian charged.

"Shingo!" Kenji shouted, tossing his backpack at the Cardian.

"It's a parent's duty to protect his beloved child!" he snapped, a fire extinguisher at hand as Mamoru took the child away.

"Come on, monster!" he challenged, spraying the fire extinguisher.

"Ant!" the Cardian leapt from the smoke.

"Dad!" Shingo called out when Kenji was taken by the Cardian. Then, both he and Mamoru gasped when they too were taken by the Cardian.

"Ant! Ant!" the Cardian grinned, its three newest victims ensnared within its grasp.

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!" Usagi transformed.

"Hell Ant, go easy on him." Ann told the Cardian after ti tossed the three against the wall and Mamoru stood up.

"Ant." the Cardian looked at her.

"Please don't try to fight." Ann advised when Mamoru readied himself.

Mamoru jumped aside, using his hand as leverage to avoid the Cardian's attack.

"Stop right there!" Sailor Moon declared.

"Sailor Moon!" Ali looked at the intruder.

"You've hurt everyone I care about." Sailor Moon told the two aliens. "Even if you apologize, I won't forgive you! I'm a Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Moon. In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Shut up! You're getting in my way!" Ann retorted. "Hell Ant, crush her!"

"Ant!" the Cardian changed its target.

"Moon Tiara Action!" Sailor Moon fired her charged up frisbee at the Cardian. However, the disc returned to its original tiara form mid-way and cluttered to the ground.

"No way! My tiara..." Sailor Moon gasped.

"I don't know who you are, but if you're gonna fight, fight!" Mamoru retorted.

With a cry, the Cardian unleashed its vines at the arguing duo and knocking them to the ground. Just as it was about to finish the job, a single white rose intervened.

"Even in this uncertain world, a beautiful flower of love blooms." the Moonlight Knight declared.

"Who are you?" Ali demanded.

"I am the gusty white wind that paints the darkness." the Moonlight Knight replied. "I am Moonlight Knight."

"Moonlight Knight-sama!" Sailor Moon swooned.

"What? But..." she blinked, looking back and forth at the Moonlight Knight and Mamoru.

"Another weird one's shown up." Mamoru noted.

_I thought Mamoru was Moonlight Knight._ Sailor Moon wondered.

"I respect your courage." the Moonlight Knight told him as he leapt down. "But it's not an opponent normal humans can defeat! Stay back."

"A truly brave man does not start a fight, but if provoked, he will finish the fight!" he added, now turning to the charging Cardian.

Leaping, he sliced through the Cardian's tentacles with his dagger, the chopped off tentacles dropping to the ground when he rescathed his blade.

"Ant!" the furious Cardian grabbed the Moonlight Knight by the tentacles on its body.

"Knight-sama!" Sailor Moon gasped.

"Icy Fog!" came Millennial Sailor Mercury's fog.

"Fire Soul!" Sailor Mars released her flame ball, cutting the vines that held Moonlight Knight captive.

"It seems like we made it in time." Sailor Jupiter remarked, the four Planetary Senshi placing themselves before Sailor Moon.

"Everyone... Mercury..." Sailor Moon sobbed. "My tiara doesn't work anymore."

"Calm down, Sailor Moon." Millennial Sailor Mercury soothed.

"The tiara? No way!" Luna gasped in shock.

"Sailor Moon, pull yourself together." Sailor Venus consoled, returning the tiara.

"Venus..." Sailor Moon mumbled, taking back her weapon.

"We will be your opponent in place of Sailor Moon." Sailor Venus declared.

"Crescent..." she charged up her energy.

"Supreme..." Sailor Jupiter powered up.

"Beam!" Sailor Venus released her attack.

"Thunder!" Sailor Jupiter unleashed her lightning.

"Cleansing!" the Cardian cried out when Sailor Jupiter's lightning stunned her in place as Sailor Venus' attack shot through its body. Returned to its card form now, the card then turned black as before.

"We will get you back for this!" Ail promised, the aliens disappearing.

"Excellent work!" the Moonlight Knight praised. "Sailor Senshi, even when fighting, the brilliance of your friendship shines beautifully."

"Adieu." he waved the girls farewell and disappeared through the exit.

"So, that's Moonlight Knight."Sailor Venus noted.

"Who in the world are you people?" Mamoru inquired.

"What's going on?" the people outside rushed in.

"Oh no, are you alright?" one of the rescuers asked the victims on the ground. "You okay? What's going on?"

"Hey, hang in there!" another rescuer chided when Mamoru looked around to find the Sailor Senshi gone.

"You there, are you okay?" one of the rescuers called out to Mamoru.

* * *

Back in the Tsukino household...

"Ouch!" Shingo whined when Ikuko applied ointment on his wounds. "That hurts!"

"That's what you get for leaving me at home and going off to have fun." Ikuko scolded.

"But I still can't believe that was caused by computer problems." Kenji pointed out.

"I can't use my tiara anymore." Usagi told Luna who was in her arms. "And it turns out that Mamoru is not Moonlight Knight."

"I'm so confused! What should I do?" she sobbed, hugging the cat tighter.

"Usagi..." Luna mumbled.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	11. ARC 2: A New Transformation!

SailorStar9: Chapter 9 goes up. This is Chapter 10.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 10: A New Transformation! Usagi Powers Up

* * *

Time passes...

"Flower gazing?" Ail echoed.

"That's right. It's a banquet held at this time by the inhabitants of this planet." Ann explained, the pair sitting on the roots of the Makaiju. "The banquet is held throughout the day and night. I head that the spend a lot of energy during this time.

"I was told that gorgeous flowers used to bloom on the Makaiju when our clan is in power." Ail replied.

"Flower gazing..." he smirked, after coming out of his musings. "It seems like we'll get plenty of human energy."

* * *

The next day...

"Outta my way! Outta my way! Usagi's coming through!" Usagi called as the group trotted towards ther destination.

"Thank you for inviting me, even though I'm not in the same school." Minako told Ms. Sakurada.

"Ms. Sakurada, it must have been difficult getting permission from the principal for today's flower gazing." Ami noted.

"Don't worry about it."Ms. Sakurada waved it aside.

"There are no teachers or students today." Makoto beamed.

"That's right." Rei agreed. "Let's just say we're all lovers of flower gazing."

"Naru, Naru, Naru, Naru, Naru, Naru, Naru!" Umino looked around for the girl, sitting down a sakura tree, having reserved a spot earlier.

"Hey everyone!" he beamed, finally noticing the group.

"It's Umino!" Usagi blinked.

"Umino, thank you for saving a spot for us." Ms. Sakurada remarked.

"How did you manage to get this place?" Usagi inquired.

"How long have you been here?" Naru asked.

"Since last night." Umino replied.

"What?" the females chorused in shock.

"But the weather is still cold during this season." Ami pointed out. "You must have been cold last night."

"Don't worry." Umino assured her. "I have a secret weapon."

"Even during the cold night, I was nice and warm in this sleeping bag." he added, in the sleeping bag he brought.

"Umino, you didn't have to go that far." Ms. Sakurada remarked.

"No, I have a duty to do this for everyone and Naru!" Umino objected.

"For me?" Naru echoed.

"That's right, for you!" Umino agreed.

"Umino..." Naru blushed slightly, before zipping up the sleeping bag.

"Okay, everyone, let's have lunch!" she beamed.

"Good idea! Yeah! Time for lunch!" the girls, minus Ami, whooped.

"Hello? Naru?" Umino remarked inside the sleeping bag. "Don't you think this a bit too much? You know, I worked so hard to get this spot."

"That was so mean!" he wailed after being pulled out of the sleeping bag. "I did everything for you, Naru."

"I'm sorry, I only meant it as a little joke." Naru apologized.

"Wow! Everyone's lunch looks so good!" Usagi awed when everybody pulled out their lunch boxes.

"On the other hand, yours is..." Rei mocked, looking at the three deformed rice balls.

"What?" Usagi sweatdropped.

"So what?" the blond demanded. "Even though it looks like this, I put my heart and soul into making it!"

"Oh, really?" Rei prodded.

"At least I didn't take the easy way out like you did." Usagi huffed when she saw Rei's lunch was RacDonald's Fast Food.

"Mako, your lunch looks so yummy!" she peered at the Jovian Senshi's lunch box.

"Oh, go ahead. Feel free to take some." Makoto offered.

"Really!?" Usagi beamed.

"Good thing I reminded you to make extras." Ami grinned.

"Yup." Makoto nodded.

"Umino, here's your lunch!" Naru offered the lunch box to the bespectacled teen.

"For me!?" Umino exclaimed.

"If it's not to your taste, I apologize." Naru replied.

"It's bound to be the best in the universe!" Umino teared.

"You're exaggerating." Naru remarked.

"Both Ami's lunch and Minako's sandwiches look so good!" Usagi peered into the two lunch boxes.

"If you want..." Ami smiled, already knowing where this was going.

"You can have as much as you like." Minako added.

"Lucky me!" Usagi beamed as the two sweatdropped.

"Hey Nastumi, where's your lunch?" she asked the girl beside her.

"Well, I have delicious energy waiting for me." Nastumi replied.

"Huh?" Usagi blinked.

"Oh, nothing." Nastumi corrected herself.

"I get it!" Usagi beamed. "Nastumi, you're counting on everyone else's lunches too!"

"That's just you!" Rei retorted.

"What's with you? You're also eating Mako's lunch, remember?" Usagi pointed out.

"Shut up! Go off and eat your ugly rice balls or something!" Rei shot back.

Usagi fumed, before an idea came to her.

Taking one of Minako's sandwiches, she put 'Super Hot' sauce on the sandwich.

"Rei, this looks yummy." she offered it to the priestess.

"Oh? It's rare for you to be so considerate..." Rei remarked, taking the sandwich and biting into it.

"Fire!" the black-haired girl puffed.

"Soul!" she ended, collapsing in the middle of the circle.

"Why you? How dare you?' she fumed, jumping the laughing Usagi.

"You deserved it because you're always so mean to me!" Usagi shot back, a fight cloud assued between the two.

"What would do you if my appendix exploded?" Rei demanded.

"You're so mean!" Usagi fumed, both Luna and Artemis sighing in unison.

"This could take a while." Ami remarked.

"Tea?" she inquired to everybody else.

"Thanks." Minako smiled, placing her cup before Ami's tea pot.

Makoto nodded, following suit.

"No cups." Naru shrugged when Ami looked at her and Umino.

"Me too." Nastumi nodded.

"Ah... sibling rivalry. A wonderful sound." Ami chuckled, sipping her green tea.

"Be patient, patient. This is not school." Ms. Sakurada told herself, a cup of steaming tea before her.

"Okay then, you have one hour of free activities." she told the teens.

"Excuse me, Ms Sakurada, this is not school." Usagi reminded her, having broke free from the fight cloud.

"Oh, you're right." Ms. Sakurada corrected herself.

"My mistake, my mistake." she added, causing everyone, minus Nastumi, to laugh. Turning, she noticed Seijuro standing behind a tree.

"Hey, there's a booth over there selling dumplings, right?" Usagi added.

"What's a dumpling doing eating dumplings?" Rei teased.

"Oh! You're mean to me again!" Usagi fumed.

"Please stop, both of you." Ami interjected. Aside, Seijuro's frown turned into a smile when he focused on Ami.

"Rei, here's some advice." Usagi added. "Do onto others as you would have them do onto you."

* * *

"Beautiful." Seijuro muttered.

"Is she that beautiful?" Nastumi inquired beside him.

"It's a misunderstanding!" Seijuro protested. "I wasn't looking at Mizuno-san."

"I don't believe you." Nastumi retorted, storming off.

"I was mesmerized by the beauty of the cherry blossoms." Seijuro insisted.

"Well, okay then." Nastumi replied, leaning against a tree.

"More importantly," she added, circling once around the tree and returning to her alien form. "Let us hurry and take the energy of these lively junior high students."

"Actually, I was just thinking the same thing." Ali agreed, having returned to his true form off-scene.

"Ann, please pick one." he offered a fan of cards.

Flicking her finger, Ann lifted a card with her power.

With the Cardian picked, Ali played his flute to summon the monster.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"It's so beautiful." Naru awed as a petal fell onto her hand.

"I like cherry blossoms. But you look much prettier to me." Umino interjected.

"Umino, don't you feel embarrassed by what you say sometimes?" a fluttered Naru fumed.

"No. Because I never say anything that is not true." Umino replied.

"Sure, sure! You are just so..." Naru flushed, before she was alerted by something.

"What is it?" she exclaimed in horror at the glowing tree that was brimming with evil energy.

A light circle appeared beneath the pair, draining the screaming couple of their energy in a burst of cherry blossoms.

"Thank you for waiting!" Ms. Sakurada beamed, appearing with a bunch of drinks in hand.

"Umino-san! Osaka-san! Wake up!" she gasped, dropping the cans as she ran towards the unconscious students.

"What happened?" she wondered outloud.

Turning back, she saw the Cardian behind her.

"Please!" Ms Sakurada pleaded. "Please call for help!"

The Cardian simply smirked, her eyes glowing red as she drained Ms Sakurada of her energy.

* * *

In the medical shed later...

"Well, in their condition, if they rest for a while, they'll be alright." the doctor-in-charge remarked, after tending to Ms Sakurada. "But what's going on? That'll make ten, who have already been carried in here."

"That many?" Usagi gasped.

"It's still too early for sunstroke season." the doctor added when Luna and Artemis nodded at each other. "I have no explanations."

* * *

Outside...

"Their energy was stolen?" Usagi exclaimed.

"Yeah. I can't think of any other possibility." Artemis nodded. "They're so weak."

"Everyone else is already investigating the place." Luna informed her. "Let's go there, too."

"Okay." Usagi nodded.

* * *

Near the incident site...

"I think Ms. Sakurada was found unconscious somewhere around here." Makoto noted.

"I see nothing really wrong." Ami remarked.

"Everyone, stay alert." Minako warned.

"I feel something. I can feel an evil aura." Rei added, as an evil wind blew.

"What is it?" Minako gasped at the glowing tree.

The girls watched as the Cardian's face appeared on the tree truck before screaming as a light circle appeared beneath each of their feet, draining their energy.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"That was them!" Artemis exclaimed, hearing the screams as the trio ran towards the incident site.

"Usagi!" Luna looked at the blond.

"Okay!" Usagi nodded. "Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

"The cherry blossom tree is taking their energy!" Artemis gasped, noticing the writhing girls.

The Cardian chuckled as it appeared from the tree and charged at the stunned Sailor Moon.

"Sailor Moon!" Luna gasped, the two cats choking from the smoke as Sailor Moon leapt aside to dodge the attack.

Sailor Moon looked at the trail the Cardian left behind and turned fearfully at the smirking monster

"Sailor Moon, fight!" Luna called at the terrified Senshi.

"I know!" Sailor Moon replied, reaching for her tiara. "Moon Tiara Action!"

But, just as before, the tiara returned to its original form before hitting the Cardian. The monster simply swatted the tiara away.

"It's not working afterall!" Sailor Moon gasped in horror.

"Sailor Moon, be careful!" Ami called out.

"Don't look into her eyes!" Rei advised.

"Her eyes?" Sailor Moon echoed.

"Watch out!" Luna warned.

Sailor Moon to see the Cardian charge at her. Taking the Moon Senshi into its grasp, the Cardian then pushed Sailor Moon onto the ground as it continued to drag the Senshi.

"Sailor Moon!" Luna gasped when the Cardian stopped.

"Shoot!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, realizing too late when she glanced into the Cardian's glowing eyes.

The girls gasped when the Cardian proceeded to take Sailor Moon's energy.

"Sailor Moon!" Ami called out.

Sailor Moon gasped in horror when her broach cracked under the onslaught of power.

"No!" she cried, de-transforming.

"Reci!" the Cardian growled in triumph.

"Oh, my transformation!: Usagi gasped when her fuku disappeared.

"I have to save everyone!" she gaped, trying to get up after the Cardian leapt off her, spreading its branch-like arms.

"Usagi!" Minako screamed when the blond sank into the light circle.

"Usagi!" Rei yelled.

"Usagi!" Makoto muttered.

"Usagi!" Ami called out.

"Usagi!" Luna leapt out of the bushes, running towards her charge.

"Luna!" Artemis called out.

"Everyone," Usagi winced. "Sorry, I wasn't able to save you!"

"Usagi!" Luna bit onto the sinking blond's sleeve.

"Luna!" Usagi gasped. "No! Leave, Luna!"

Her warning was unheeded when Luna held on, the two disappearing into the circle.

"Usagi! Luna!" Artemis called out.

"Usagi!" Rei screamed, the others looking on in horror.

"Ami!" Makoto turned to the screaming genius when the light pillar pulled out a crystal from her body, the glittering seed of the 'Cleansing Sapphire' materializing above the girl.

* * *

Meanwhile...

The Makaiju's leaves regenerated.

"Looks like the Makaiju is gathering a lot of energy." Ali noted.

"It's only a matter of time before the Makaiju regains its former beauty." Ann added.

"Okay Reci, get more energy!" Ali instructed.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Usagi and Luna were floating downwards.

_What should I do, Luna?_ Usagi wondered. _My transformation is gone._

_Usagi, you came back as a Senshi, but you still..._ Luna added mentally.

_I know, I still wish I could be a regular girl in junior high._ Usagi agreed.

_As long as you feel that way, you won't be able to use Moon Tiara Action or your transformation._ Luna reminded.

_Then how can I save everyone?_ Usagi inquired. _How?_

"Where am I?" she blinked, looking at her new surroundings.

"Luna." she looked at the unconscious cat in her arms. "She's so tiny and all I do is give her a hard time." I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess. I wonder if we're dead?"

"Princess." Queen Selenity's voice interjected.

A naked Usagi gasped when the late Moon Queen materialized in front of her in a glittering shimmer of light.

"Queen Selenity." she gaped.

"We are inside your soul." Queen Selenity informed her reincarnated daughter. "Thank you for still needing me."

"Queen Selenity, I have to save everyone!" Usagi told her.

"Our broach..." Queen Selenity started and Usagi presented the shattered broach to her. The broach then shone a bright light and they were teleported to the Moon Kingdom, Usagi now in her Princess form.

"The Ginzuishou..." Princess Serenity gasped at the glittering crystal.

"Your desire to save your friends protected the Ginzuishou." Queen Selenity told her.

"Oh, my broach!" Princess Serenity blinked when the said crystal entered the shattered broach, transforming it into its new form.

"Luna," Queen Selenity looked at the cat. "Please continue to help the Princess."

"Yes, my lady." Luna nodded.

"As long as I have the Ginzuishou, I can help everyone." Princess Serenity remarked.

"Princess, that Ginzuishou is not as powerful as it used to be." Queen Selenity warned. "What is not meant to be yours would not be yours, no matter how much you wish for it. So, please do not use it for selfish wishes. But one day, I'm sure your desire to take care of your friends and everyone else will bring out the true power of the Ginzuishou."

"Thank you, Queen Selenity." Princess Serenity turned to her late mother before she returned to Earth. "Mother."

"Say 'Moon Crystal Power, Make Up'." Queen Selenity informed her.

"Yes." Princess Serenity nodded. "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

* * *

Back on Earth...

The unconscious and drained girls were now trapped inside the tree truck.

"Reci!" the Cardian growled.

_It's no good, I'm just not strong enough._ Artemis mused, facing the over-towering Cardian, the seed of the 'Cleansing Sapphire' in his mouth.

"Reci!" the Cardian growled.

_The moon! _Artemis looked at the glowing full moon.

"Spring roll, spring chicken, spring is in full bloom!" Sailor Moon declared, appearing behind the white cat in a beam of moonlight. "How dare you disrupt everyone's favorite activity, flower gazing? You're worse than the drunk old men who crash flower gazing parties! I"m a Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"You're both back!" Artemis beamed, dropping the seed of the 'Cleansing Sapphire'.

"Artemis, thank you for hanging in there!" Luna smiled.

"Reci!" the Cardian growled, reaching for the crystal.

"Reci!" it repeated when Artemis grabbed the jewel in his mouth, jumping aside to dodge the attack.

Both Luna and Sailor Moon jumped apart to avoid the petal beam fired at them.

"Reci!" the Cardian roared, Sailor Moon dodging another petal attack.

Thrown against a tree, Sailor Moon ducked to avoid the petal beam.

"Sailor Moon, pull yourself together!" Luna advised. "You're the only one who can save everyone!"

"I know that, but..." Sailor Moon muttered.

"Reci!" the Cardian readied to attack. "Reci!"

However, its attack was stopped by a white rose.

"It is a perfect night to enjoy the beauty of flowers. The life of cherry blooms is fleeting it is unforgivable to scatter them with filthy hands." the Moonlight Knight remarked.

"Moonlight Knight-sama!" Sailor Moon beamed.

"Sailor Moon, you're the only one who can save everyone." the Moonlight Knight told her.

_Princess._ Queen Selenity's voice echoed, the Moon Scepter dropping before her from the moon.

"What is this?" Sailor Moon looked at her new weapon.

_Use this Moon Scepter and ignite the flame of hope for the future._ Queen Selenity told her.

"Queen Selenity..." Sailor Moon muttered, an image of the Queen floating across the moon.

"Yes!" she nodded.

"Reci!" the Cardian charged.

"Moon Princess Elimination!" Sailor Moon fired her attack.

"Cleansing!" the Cardian cried once it was destroyed, returning to its card form, the said card turning black.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Damn Reci." Ali growled, knowing that the Cardian was defeated.

"It looks like she failed. " Ann added. "But one good thing came out of it."

"What?" Ali looked at her.

"That crystal within Mizuno." Ann replied. "Its life energy is incredible, it's practically limitless. If we could get it..."

"Then the Makaiju and our clan will regain its former glory." Ali finished her sentence.

* * *

After the battle...

"Everyone, I'm glad." Sailor Moon sighed in relief after she rescued the girls.

"Sailor Moon, you did a good job yourself." the Moonlight Knight praised, having Artemis return the seed of the 'Cleansing Sapphire' back into Ami's body. "The beauty of cherry blossoms cannot compare to a girl with courage."

"Adieu." he waved the girls farewell and left.

"Moonlight Knight-sama." Sailor Moon blushed.

"Thank you, Sailor Moon." Ami smiled

"Sailor Moon." Minako interjected. "Thank you."

"Thanks." Makoto smiled.

"Thanks, okay?" Rei remarked.

"Well, Sailor Moon, you've moved up a step." Luna added.

"That's right! You've got to keep up the good work!" Artemis agreed.

"But I have to say, I wish you'd rescued us a little sooner." Rei prodded.

"Oh, you're doing it again!" Sailor Moon fumed, causing everyone to sweatdrop.

"Here we go again." Ami sighed.

"Oh dear, I wonder if she really is growing up." Makoto remarked as another tongue war assued.

"Unbelievable." Sailor Moon huffed.

_Queen Selenity,_ she looked up at the moon. _Thank you._

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	12. ARC 2: Venus’ Great Performance

SailorStar9: Chapter 10 goes up. This is Chapter 11.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 11: Targeted Kindergarten Kids! Venus' Great Performance

* * *

Time passes...

"Allan!" Minako grinned in her sleep, hugging a shocked Artemis.

Getting up groggily, she picked up the cat who was holding onto her alarm clock.

"Why is it always like this?" she panicked, realizing that she was late. "I'm late again!"

"My name is Artemis." the cat introduced himself. "I'm a tomcat who can understand human language and I also speak it very well."

"Artemis, quit stopping my alarm clock!" Minako scolded. "What are you looking at? You pervert!"

"This is my long time partner, Aino Minako, also known as Sailor Venus." Artemis added, the two running to school. "She looks so dependable, but looks can be deceiving."

"Shortcut!" Minako beamed, jumping over a wall.

"She should have more hidden powers. I just wish she were a little more dependable." Artemis sighed.

"Move! Move! Outta my way!" Minako hollered, landing on an unfortunate Artemis. "Looks like I might just make it."

"Heavy!" Artemis whined, pulling himself from under Minako.

"Sorry I'm so heavy!" Minako remarked.

"Let me go!" Mie whined.

"Hey, hand over that badge!" one of the older bullies grinned.

"No way! Let me go!" Mie shook her head, huddled against a postbox.

"Hey! Just give it to us!" another bully demanded.

"Hey, hey, hey!" the two approached Mie . "Hey, hey!"

"Hey, what are you doing?" Minako demanded, skidding into the scene.

"Shoot! Run!" the first bully told his companion.

"Okay!" his partner agreed, the two taking off.

"Unbelievable!" Minako sighed.

"You're safe now." she looked at the wailing Mie.

"Thank you for saving me." Mie smiled and stuck out her tongue.

"Oh, you were just faking it?" Minako realized.

"Since you happened to rescue me, can you walk me to the bus stop too?" Mie requested.

"I don't have time for that right now. I..." Minako sweatdropped.

"Please take me?" Mie pressed.

"Like I said..." Minako added.

"You're so mean!" Miewailed after a while.

"Okay..." Minako sweatdropped.

"Run!" she picked up Mie and ran to the bus stop.

"Thank you for bringing her all this way." the bus driver replied, the 'Shiba Kindergarten' sign was pasted in front of the bus.

"Big sis, thank you!" Mie added.

"You're welcome." Minako sighed as she saw Mie off to school.

"Bye-bye!" Mie waved farewell to the panting Minako.

"I can't believe how kids are nowadays." Minako returned the wave.

"Minako, I doubt you'll make it to school on time," Artemis reminded her. "But do you want to try running anyway?"

"I guess I'll have to..." Minako laughed nervously. "Run!"

"Oh?" she blinked when she saw Usagi running in front of her. "Usagi!"

"Oh, Minako! Did you get up late, too?" Usagi looked over at the other blond.

"Yeah!" Minako replied. "As they say,, 'In spring one sleeps a sleep that knows no damn!'"

"I think it should be 'In spring one sleeps a sleep that knows no dawn!'" Artemis corrected, sweatdropping.

"I suppose they say that too." Minako remarked.

"Well, I need to go this way." she turned to Usagi once they arrived at a split road.

"Okay, bye-bye." Usagi nodded and they split off.

* * *

Outside the locked school...

"Oh shoot!" Minako sighed as the school bell rang.

"You won't believe this, but she's much better than she used to be." Artemis remarked. "She's such a handful."

* * *

Outside her classroom...

Usagi hung her head as she wore a 'I am always late for school' sign around her neck.

"It sucks that I have to stand here even during recess." the blond sighed. "I wonder if Minako made it in time?"

* * *

In the library...

"Ami-san..." Seijuro started when he stood opposite her. "Your focused eyes are truly bewitching."

"Now," he added at the blinking Ami. "Come into my arms and let's talk of love! Come, Ami-san..."

"What are you doing, Seijuro?" Nastumi inquired, appearing beside her 'brother'.

"Oh, just a little exercise." Seijuro replied, stretching. "One, two, three, four."

"Two, two, three, four." he continued as he walked off. "Three, two, three, four. Four, two, three, four."

Ami raised a brow at Nastumi who snorted and turned away.

_These siblings are weird._ The blue-haired girl wondered.

* * *

Later, on the school roof..

"The next energy collecting operation is..." Seijuro begun.

"Please don't change the subject." Nastumi interjected. "What were you thinking? You just keep chasing that girl!"

"Please don't misunderstand me. This is all part of my plan!" Seijuro told her.

"I wonder what kind of plan?" Nastumi remarked. "Anyway, this time round, I've decided to steal younger and fresher energy than before."

"Fresh energy..." Seijuro smirked.

* * *

After school...

Minako was walking home when she heard a commotion in the playground.

"There is too!" Mie insisted as she was pushed onto the sand.

"There is not!" a bully retorted.

"Then, where is she?" a second bully pressed.

"There is too!" Mie asserted.

"I know Sailor Moon is real!" she shot back, standing up.

"You've never even seen her!" the third bully accused.

"That's right!" his two companions agreed.

"Oh, it's her again." Minako noted.

"Looks like she's being bullied again." Artemis added.

"Hey, now!" Minako ran in. "You can't do that! Be nice to her."

"Oh, it's you." Mie looked at Minako.

"Don't stick your nose in a kids' fight, old woman!" one of the bullies retorted.

"Old woman?" Minako twitched.

"If you've time for something like this, go get a boyfriend or something, old woman!" one of his companions added.

"Of course, that'll be hard with your looks!" the third bully remarked.

"Old woman!?" Minako fumed at the three laughing boys.

"The old woman's mad!" the three boys fled.

"Honestly! What's wrong with the younger generation these days?" Minako sighed.

_That's why they call you an old woman._ Artemis sweatdropped.

"Thank you, big sis." Mie remarked.

"What are you arguing about?" Minako inquired. "Let's see..."

"My name is Mie. I'm in the Tulip Class at Shiba Kindergarten." Mie introduced herself.

"My name is Minako," Minako added. "And this is Artemis."

The said cat let out a meow.

"Nice to meet you, Artemis." Mie looked at the cat.

"Wow! So, you're a fan of Sailor Moon." Minako noted, noticing the Sailor Moon pin on Mie's coat.

"Yes!" Mie nodded.

"Then do you also like Sailor Venus?" Minako asked.

"Who's that?" Mie asked back.

"Never mind, it's nothing.." Minako sighed.

"Kids are like that." Artemis mumbled.

"Can I ask you something?" Mie inquired, the two girls now seated on a bench.

"What?" Minako looked at her.

"Sailor Moon does exist, doesn't she?" Mie asked.

"Well, that's a tough question." Minako replied.

"I wonder if she doesn't exist after all?" Mie sighed.

"But Mie, you believe she is real, don't you?" Minako smiled.

"Yes. Mie beamed.

"Then she is real!" Minako told her. "Believing is what's important."

"Minako!" Mie smiled brightly.

"Do you know Sailor Moon?" she inquired.

"Do I know her?" Minako smiled. "I've even met her."

"Hey, hey." Artemis panicked.

"Really? That's amazing!" Mie awed. "Then, can you come to my kindergarten tomorrow and talk to the boys? Because nobody believes me."

"No problem!" Minako assured her.

"Hey, hey!" Artemis _really_ panicked.

"Really?" Mie beamed.

"I'll teach those kids to have real childlike innocence!" Minako swore as Artemis looked warily at her.

"See? If we don't believe in anything now, I think we're regret it when we become grownups." Mie agreed.

"What?" Minako looked at her.

"Right?" Mie smiled.

"What are kids nowadays thinking?" Minako sighed.

_But she is kind of cute._ She added mentally, looking at Mie.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"The energy is running out again." Ail noted. "So, who are we going after for energy this time?"

"Fresh energy from young children." Ann replied, showing the image of kindergärtners.

"Interesting." Ail remarked. "Here, pick a card."

"Okay." Ann replied, drawing a card with he power.

Playing his flute, Ail summoned the Cardian.

"Come forth, Gigarus!" he commanded.

* * *

The next day...

"One, two, buckle my shoe. Three, four, touch the floor. Five, six, pick up sticks. Seven, eight, lay them straight." the Kari Kindergartners sang on their bus. "Nine, ten, do it all again."

Suddenly, the bus skidded to a stop inside a tunnel when the Cardian blasted its way through the roof.

"I'm scared!" the children shivered. "What is that?

"Gigaru!" the Cardian declared. "Gigaru!"

Spreading its wings, it drained the terrified children of their energy.

* * *

Meanwhile...

The Makaiju glowed, regenerating, as it absorbed the energy.

"It's wonderful!" Ail smiled. "This is more energy than I expected."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Hikawa Shrine...

"It must be them again." Luna remarked, as Ami, Rei and Makoto gathered around a side table, a newspaper reporting the attack in front of them.

"That's terrible, targeting small children!" Rei retorted.

"I agree! I can't forgive them!" Makoto agreed.

"Luna, I've found the next kindergarten that will be targeted!" Ami reported, the results showing on her Mercury computer.

"So, where's the kindergarten?" Luna asked.

"Well, the probability is 67%, but I think it's going to be Shiba Kindergarten." Ami replied.

"Then, let's infiltrate that kindergarten immediately!" Luna suggested, before sweatdropping at Usagi's hysterical laughter.

"Oh, it hurts!" the said blond laughed as she read the manga in her hands. "Look, look, everyone! This is so funny!"

"Usagi, good luck!" Rei remarked after a while.

"Usagi, we're counting on you!" Makoto added.

"For what?" Usagi sweatdropped.

"Please fight hard for all of us!" Ami remarked.

"So, what is this about?" Usagi pressed.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Shiba Kindergarten...

"So, Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus really do exist!" Minako told the unconvinced children.

"I won't believe it until I see them!" a boy replied.

"Me too! Me too!" the rest of the boys chorused.

"Believing that they exist is what's important!" Mie insisted.

"If you keep on believing, you will see them one day!" Minako assured them.

"I think you should be more realistic." one of the boys retorted.

"Are you going through a hard time or something?" his partner inquired.

"Why?" Minako blinked.

"Isn't that escapism?" the boy asked.

"What?" Minako sweatdropped.

"It must be nice to be a grown up." the first boy remarked. "They always push their hardships onto children, while they run off to live in a fantasy world."

"Hey, you guys..." Minako growled lowly. "You better knock it off or even a nice girl like me is going to snap!"

_It's sad that I can't say things the way Usagi does._ She mused.

_She should have just left them alone!_ Artemis sweatdropped in Mie's arms.

"Okay everyone! it's time to go home!" the teacher told the group.

"Already? That's not fun." the children whined.

"Don't give this young lady a hard time." the teacher told them. "Also, I won't be on the bus today."

"What?" the children chorused.

"Excuse me, if you don't mind, I can take the bus in your place." Minako offered.

"What? But..." the teacher blinked.

"Yeah! Minako, let's go home together!" Mie beamed.

"I guess we have no choice, since our teacher can't come." the first boy remarked. "We'll let you on the bus if you really insist on it." causing the teacher and Minako to sweatdrop.

* * *

Outside the kindergarten...

"Usagi, that's the bus!" Luna told her.

"Yeah, it looks like it, but..." Usagi whined. "Why am I all by myself?"

"You're the only one who can use the transformation pen, remember?" Luna reminded.

"That's true, but everyone else is so cold!" Usagi complained.

"Hurry it up!" Luna growled.

"Fine! But what should I do if a monster really shows up?" Usagi whined.

"Usagi!" Luna retorted.

"Okay, okay!" Usagi replied.

Raising the Disguise Pen, she shouted, "Moon Power! Turn me into a sweet and stylish kindergarten teacher!"

* * *

On the bus...

"Bye-bye!" the children bade their teacher farewell as the bus drove off.

"Please take care of them." the teacher called out.

"I'm sorry I'm late. I'm a new teacher." the now disguised Usagi called as the bus drove out of the school.

"Oh? Usagi?" Minako blinked.

"Minako?" Usagi blinked.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Go back there and collect more fresh energy!" Ail instructed.

The Cardian's eyes glowed.

* * *

On the bus...

"I'm sorry I'm not straightforward, I can say it in my dreams." the children sang.

"I'm glad you're here, Minako!" Usagi sighed in relief.

"What's wrong?" Minako inquired.

"Did something happen?" Artemis asked.

"Yes, but I don't really know yet." Usagi confessed.

"My thoughts are about to short circuit, I want to see you now." the children sang along with the two. "Moonlight that makes me want to cry."

_What are they thinking?_ Artemis sweatdropped.

"Next one is..." Usagi declared when the bus entered the tunnel.

"What's that?" the driver gasped.

"What is it?" Usagi turned around as the bus neared the grinning Cardian. Bursting in through a window, the Cardian forced the bus to a stop as it drained the driver if his energy.

"Gigaru!" it then turned to the passengers.

"So, you've shown up, you monster!" Usagi spat.

"Minako, I'm scared!" Mie looked up at Minako.

"Don't worry. I'm sure she will come and rescue us in this kind of situation." Minako assured her.

"Who?" Mie asked.

"Your favorite..." Minako replied.

"Sailor Moon!?" Mie beamed.

"That's right!" Usagi agreed. "I'm sure Sailor Moon will be here to rescue us."

"Let's go, Artemis!" she told the cat as the Cardian approached.

"Gigaru!" the Cardian roared as both Usagi and Artemis charged, only to be knocked back by the Cardian.

"Usagi!" Minako gasped.

"Ouch! It's not easy being a super heroine." Usagi complained when she landed on the road. "Anyway..."

"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!" she transformed.

"Artemis!" Minako gaped when the cat was knocked back by the Cardian.

"Gigaru!" the Cardian growled.

"Oh, I'm scared." the children shivered.

"Wait, monster!" Sailor Moon declared. "Stealing energy from the children who bear the future of the 21st century. You cannot get away with making us worry about our old age! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Sailor Moon!" Mie beamed.

"She really does exist!" one of the boys remarked.

"Thank you for waiting!" Sailor Moon winked.

"Now, come and get me!" she looked at the floating Cardian.

"Gigaru!" the Cardian unleashed a twister at the Moon Senshi who jumped to dodge the attack.

"Will she be okay?" the boy asked when Sailor Moon ducked another twister. "Sailor Moon doesn't look that tough."

"Yeah..." Mie trailed off.

"I have to help Sailor Moon." Minako decided, jumping out from the opposite window.

"Gigaru!" the Cardian, having knocked Sailor Moon against the bus, was now approaching the said Senshi fast.

"Sailor Moon!" the children chorused.

"Crescent Beam!" Sailor Venus' attack intervened, blasting the Cardian off its feet.

"Sailor Venus!" Sailor Moon looked up at her rescuer.

"That's Sailor Venus?" Mie beamed.

"She's so cool!" the boy beside her gushed.

"Are you okay?" Sailor Venus asked, jumping down.

"Yeah, somehow." Sailor Moon replied, standing up.

"Gigaru!" the Cardian got back to its feet.

"That's impossible!" Sailor Venus gasped. "Crescent Beam didn't work?"

"Gigaru!" the Cardian growled, sending a wave of energy at the Senshi. Sailor Venus jumped aside to dodge the attack.

"Crescent Beam!" she released her energy beam again.

"Gigaru!" the Cardian simply blocked the attack, sending a wave of energy at her, causing Sailor Venus to take a direct hit.

"Sailor Venus!" the children chorused, as Sailor Moon dodged another energy wave.

"Sailor Moon! Sailor Venus! Don't give up!" the children cheered the two Senshi on.

_How... how can we beat it?_ Sailor Venus winced as she got back up.

"Gigaru!" the Cardian readied its claws and charged.

"Sailor Venus!" Mie screamed, just as a white rose intervened the Cardian's charge.

"Moonlight Knight-sama!" the two Senshi chorused when the said caped crusader appeared behind the bus.

"Once you pass through the tunnel of despair, you will see the garden of hope." the Moonlight Knight advised. "You can overcome any kind of difficulty. Believe in yourself."

"Believe in myself?" Sailor Venus echoed.

"You already have a strong ally who believes in you." the Moonlight Knight reminded her, pointing his rose at the children on the bus.

"Go, Sailor Moon! Sailor Venus, you can do it!" the children cheered them on. "Go, Sailor Moon! Sailor Venus, you can do it!Go, Sailor Moon! Sailor Venus, you can do it!"

"These children have taught me just how important it is to believe!" Sailor Venus stood back up. "I will protect the children!"

With a scream, she powered up.

"Gigaru!" the Cardian stepped on the white rose, crushing it under its feet.

"Crescent..." Sailor Venus charged up.

"Gigaru!" the Cardian charged.

"Beam..." Sailor Venus fired her attack.

"Shower!" she ended the attack cry, the said energy beam splitting into numerous light beams, hitting onto the Cardian simultaneously.

"Gigaru!" the Cardian cried as it was encased in the light cage, the light beams bombarding it.

"Do it now, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Venus turned to the Moon Senshi.

"Okay!" Sailor Moon replied, revealing her new weapon.

"Moon Princess Elimination!" she fired her attack.

"Gigaru!" the Cardian screamed as the attack washed over it. "Cleansing!"

With that, it returned to its card form and the card turned back.

"Wow! They did it!" the children whooped.

"Excellent! You showed us the importance of believing in ourselves." the Moonlight Knight remarked.

"Adieu." he added, disappearing again.

"Crescent Beam Shower..." Sailor Venus repeated her new attack's name.

"That's right." Artemis agreed. "It's one of the hidden powers you possess."

"That was great!" Sailor Moon beamed.

"Maybe we own it to them." Artemis looked at the children.

"Yeah! Yeah!" the children cheered as the two Senshi looked at them.

"You're right. I think I do own it to those kids." Sailor Venus agreed.

"Let's go. Everyone is waiting." Artemis told them.

"Yeah!" the two Senshi nodded.

* * *

The next day...

"Minako, wasn't Sailor Moon great?" Mie beamed.

"Yes, she was." Minako smiled.

"You know, both Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus were great!" Mie added. "I think I'm becoming a Sailor Venus fan. And, and..."

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	13. ARC 2: Mamoru and Usagi’s Mayhem

SailorStar9: Chapter 11 goes up. This is Chapter 12.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 12: Mamoru and Usagi's Babysitting Mayhem

* * *

Time passes...

"Babies are full of strong, fresh energy." Ail remarked.

"Babies will be our next target." Ann decided.

"Ann," Ail revealed a card fan. "Please choose the Cardian best suited for this operation."

"Sure." Ann replied, picking out a card with her power.

"Come forth, Cardian Amaderasu!" Ail instructed, the two standing on top of Juuban Municipal Nursery School. Playing his flute, he summoned the Cardian.

* * *

In the nursery...

"Manami, were you good today?" the infant's mother picked up her son.

"Of course, you were." the teacher answered.

"Okay, time to say 'bye-bye' to your teacher." Manami's mother told him.

"Ba-ba." the infant replied.

"It's still too soon for you to say greetings, right?" the teacher smiled. "Bye-bye."

"Wow! So adorable!" Usagi cooed when she and Ami walked past.

"What's the infant's name?" Ami inquired.

"It's Manami." the mother replied, before wincing when the Cardian appeared in a burst of light.

"What's this?" Usagi gasped.

"A Cardian?" Ami added.

"Amaderasu!" the Cardian declared. Forming an orb of energy within its palms, it drained the infants and everyone in the school of their energy with threads. Manami's mother cried out as she held her child in her arms, taking the attack for him.

"That's terrible!" Ami gasped at the fallen mother.

"Auger Frost!" she quickly sent a bolt of energy at the Cardian, freezing it momentarily.

"Amaderasu!" the Cardian growled, breaking free of the ice prison before disappearing.

"Oh, what should we do?" Usagi wailed at the unconscious people.

"Call an ambulance! Hurry!" Mamoru urged as Manami crawled out from under his mother.

"Oh, yes!" Ami nodded.

* * *

In the ambulance...

"Please hold on!" Usagi pleaded, in the ambulance with Manami and his mother.

* * *

Meanwhile...

The Makaiju glowed as it took in the collected energy.

"It seems our strategy was a success." Ail chuckled, twirling Amaderasu's card.

"Let's steal more fresh life energy from these newborns." Ann grinned.

"Yes." Ail agreed. "But we don't know when the Sailor Senshi might show up again. We will need to be very careful in our operations."

* * *

In the hospital...

"What did Norstein-sensei say?" Usagi asked.

"He said the babies can leave the hospital within a week." Ami replied.

"What about Manami?" Usagi inquired.

"She is fine." the doctor answered, entering the room.

"Because her mother protected her." Usagi noted.

"She can leave the hospital in three days." the doctor added, looking at Manami's mother. "However, there is a problem."

"Oh?" both Mamoru and Usagi blinked.

"Manami's father is on a business trip in another country now." Ami explained. "They don't have any relatives, so there is no one who can take care of the baby."

"I see." Usagi remarked, looking at Mamoru.

"While her mother is in the hospital, there's no one to take care of Manami, so..." Ami trailed off.

"I will take care of the baby." Mamoru offered.

"What?" Usagi looked at him.

"I said, I will take care of the baby." Mamoru repeated.

"Are you sure?" the doctor looked at him. "Taking care of a baby isn't easy. You should consider carefully before volunteering."

Just then, Manami wailed when his pacifier dropped out from his mouth.

"Look, here's your pacifier!" Usagi offered the pacifier back to the infant.

"A baby can't speak, but she has all kinds of emotions." Ami explained. "When she cries, it's not easy to figure out why."

_She's right._ Manami thought, spitting out the pacifier. _I don't like it when my mom's not with me._

"Oh, this is going to be a lot of work." Usagi sighed.

Picking up the infant, she added, "Okay, I'm going to help Mamoru. Ami, can you help him, too?"

"I think I will pass." Ami replied. "I don't want to get in your way."

"Look, look!" Mamoru cooed over the infant as Usagi looked at him, blushing.

* * *

In Mamoru's apartment...

"Look Manami!" Mamoru waved a shaker in front of the infant who was now in the crib.

_This guy is pretty funny._ Manami let off crying when he saw Mamoru's funny faces.

"Oh, she stopped crying!" Usagi beamed.

_This girl is even more funny!_ Manami laughed when he saw Usagi pull on her pig-tails.

"Dumpling head, you can go home now." Mamoru told her.

At her confused look, he added as picked up Manami, "I'm the one who volunteered for this. I don't want to make trouble for you."

"Here, up we go!" he continued to play with the infant. "Up we go! Up we go!"

_What's with him? I was thinking of bringing the baby home!_ Usagi fumed.

_But I knew it; Mamoru is such a nice guy. _she smiled as Mamoru played with the baby.

_Does she like him or something?_ Manami wondered when he saw a blushing Usagi lean against Mamoru's shoulder.

"Mamoru, you keep your room pretty clean." Usagi laughed nervously, getting up from the bed when she noticed Mamoru's stare.

"Oh! What's wrong?" she looked at the wailing Manami.

"Maybe she's hungry." Mamoru guessed.

"Oh, let me do it." Usagi took the milk formula and bottle from Mamoru's hands.

"I did it!" she remarked, _finally_ getting the milk prepared.

"What?" Mamoru sweatdropped, moving aside.

"Here." Usagi offered the milk bottle to the crying baby.

"Don't you want to drink?" she sighed when Manami shook his head.

"Maybe the milk is too hot." Mamoru suggested.

_No, no. I'm not hungry; my diaper is wet!_ Manami wailed as Usagi tested the milk herself, by drinking it.

"This milk tastes good." Usagi noted.

"I thought so!" Mamoru remarked, now knowing what was wrong.

"Huh? What's wrong? Is she sick?" Usagi inquired. "I hope she didn't get measles?! Chicken pox!? Or is it whooping cough!?"

"No, her diaper is wet!" Mamoru informed her.

"Oh, my..." Usagi sighed in relief.

"If I remember correctly, there are some disposable diapers in a bag." Mamoru noted.

"You can't do that; this isn't a job for a guy!" Usagi pushed him off.

"What's the matter, dumpling head?" Mamoru asked, a diaper in hand when he heard Usagi's horrified cry.

"This baby is supposed to be a girl, but she has a wee-wee!" Usagi choked.

"Let me see." Mamoru replied.

_I'm not a girl._ Manami mused.

"You dummy." Mamoru chided. "The baby's name is Manami, but it's a boy. Right, Manami?"

"Of course! Oh, that scared me!" Usagi breathed in relief as Mamoru picked up the gurgling child. "All right, if you keep showing your butt, you will catch a cold."

After she changed the diaper, Manami stared wailing again.

"What's wrong now? We just changed his diaper." Usagi wondered outloud. "Is it wet again?"

_You just changed my diaper; there' s no way I'd pee again so soon!_ A crying Manami thought. _I'm just hungry!_

"Oh, it's not wet. What's wrong now?" Usagi pondered when she checked the diaper, only to find it dry.

"I bet he's hungry this time." Mamoru guessed, offering the infant the milk bottle.

_Thank you, mister._ The baby thought, taking the milk bottle and started drinking.

"It's amazing how you can read a baby's mind!" Usagi beamed. "Have you ever had a baby of your own?"

"Are you kidding me?" Mamoru sweatdropped.

"Of course you haven't." Usagi laughed nervously.

_Why am I always asking stupid questions?_ She sighed.

"Hey you're downing it pretty quickly." Mamoru noted as the infant fed. "Drink lots of milk and grow into a big boy, now."

"Here, this is milk." he tried to teach the child. "M-i-l-k! Okay, you try saying it."

"I can't believe you! he's still a baby." Usagi protested when Manami blinked blankly. "It won't do you any good to try and teach him. Instead..."

"Manami, try walking a little." she added, placing the infant on the floor.

"Oh my. One more time. Walk..." she picked up the baby who had sat on his butt.

"He still only knows how to crawl. Standing up is hard enough." Mamoru pointed out. "There's no way he's going to walk."

"Well, sorry! Sorry I don't know these things!" Usagi fumed.

Manami looked at the arguing pair.

* * *

Later...

"What's wrong with him?" Usagi stormed out of the apartment. "Why does he always have to comment on everything I do? I never imagined he was such an arrogant person!"

"I wonder if Mamoru and I are fundamentally incompatible?" she muttered, stopping on a bridge. "I don't want that."

* * *

The next morning...

"Oh? Is Usagi awake already?" Luna yawned as she looked at the empty bed. "She always sleeps in on Sundays. I wonder where she went?"

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Do you think we got enough milk and diapers?" Usagi asked as she and Mamoru walked past to Mamoru's place, a load of infant necessities in Mamoru's hands.

"It's only two more days, right?" Mamoru reminded her. "You brought too much."

"What's this?" Nastumi gasped when she saw the two as she turned a corner. "Mamoru and Usagi with a baby? Could they have gotten married? Unforgivable."

"I can't believe it! Usagi!" Minako teased. "When did you have Mamoru's baby?"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Usagi fumed. "There's no way I'll do something like that!"

"Usagi, what did you do with Mamoru?" Ami joked.

"No, no! Ami's you're crazy!" Usagi argued.

"Why are you blushing so much?" Makoto teased. "There's no way Minako would really think something happened between you and Mamoru."

"I was just joking." Minako grinned.

"Usagi, we're going to Rei's place." Ami whispered into the blond's ear. "We are trying to find out what the new Cardian is. So please come."

"Of course!" Usagi nodded.

* * *

In the Fire Room of the Hikawa Shrine...

"Rin, Pyo, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" Rei chanted.

"That's her!" Usagi exclaimed when the Cardian's image appeared. "That's the Cardian who attacked those babies!"

"I see a card just like the tarot card, 'Sun'." Rei replied. "The tarot card, 'Sun', is associated with happiness and love in marriages."

"That sounds nice." Ami smiled.

"But when turned upside down, it means trouble in marriages or the end of an engagement if you're engaged to someone." Rei added.

"How terrible!" Makoto gasped.

"I wonder which one applies to Mamoru and you?" Minako smiled at Usagi.

"Oh, come on! Our relationship hasn't gone that far yet!" Usagi protested.

"So, you guys will be just friends forever?" Makoto teased.

"No way! I don't want to stay being just friends!" Usagi objected.

"I'm going back to see the baby." she stormed off.

"Everyone, I've recognize the Cardian's evil aura!" Rei reported. "When I feel it again, we'll locate and destroy it!"

"Yeah!" the three Planetary Senshi agreed.

* * *

Back in Mamoru's apartment...

Mamoru was preparing the baby's milk formula.

"Okay." he smiled.

"Who is it?" he called out, running the milk bottle under the tap as Manami played with the tissue box.

"Mamoru? I heard everything from the hospital." Nastumi let herself in. "They told me you volunteered to take care of a baby. I must be a handful for you. I came here to help you."

"There, there." she chided the infant. "You're making such a mess. You mustn't be so naughty."

"Don't cry." she soothed the crying infant as she picked him up. "Mamoru's making milk for you. Be a good boy and wait."

_No! I don't like this girl!_ Manami thought, looking at Nastumi and continued crying.

"Stop crying." Nastumi retorted.

"His diaper might be wet." Mamoru suggested.

"That's right, I'll change his diaper then!" Nastumi offered.

"Oh, it's not wet..." she blinked when she inspected the diaper.

_No! No! She's creepy!_ Manami wailed and peed onto her.

Manami: 1, Nastumi: 0.

"I can't believe this! How disgusting!" Nastumi whined, running into the kitchen and almost knocking Mamoru over.

"Oops!" Mamoru caught the runaway bottle.

As Nastumi washed herself, Mamoru gave Manami his bottle.

"Mamoru, if you have anything you want me to do, please let me know!" Nastumi offered. "I can be here for as long as needed to help you take care of the baby."

_No! I don't like her!_ Manami thought when Nastumi picked him up and peed on her again.

Manami: 2, Nastumi: 0.

"That's it! I'm leaving!" Nastumi fumed as Mamoru caught the infant.

"Manami, are you in a good mood today?" Usagi called out.

"Nastumi?" she blinked when Nastumi stormed out.

"Wait!" Mamoru called out.

"So, it doesn't matter who takes care of the baby." Usagi sobbed, realizing what had occurred.

"Wait, dumpling head!" Mamoru grabbed her wrist when Usagi prepared to run.

"Let me go!" Usagi demanded.

"She just came here by herself!" Mamoru explained.

"It's okay! I'm leaving!" Usagi retorted.

"Why are you in such a bad mood?" Mamoru asked.

"I don't like a guy who doesn't understand a girl's feelings!" Usagi shot back.

Suddenly, she shouted.

"Look." she pointed at the standing Manami.

"He's..." Mamoru was astonished when Manami started walking.

"Walking!" Usagi finished his sentence.

Dropping in front of the ignored tissue box, Manami laughed and started pulling the tissue out.

"All right! He did it!" the two whooped.

"He did it! It's great that he did it!" Usagi cheered as Ami peered in.

"What's going on?" Ami asked, coming in.

Looking at their joined hands, she teased, "Did we catch you at a bad time?"

"Oh, that's not what you think!" Usagi protested. "Manami... Manami..."

"He walked for the first time!" Mamoru offered, picking up the infant.

"Wow! Really?" Ami beamed.

"Here, be a good boy and walk one more time." Mamoru placed Manami back on the floor.

"You can do it!" Usagi cheered.

"Usagi, we're in trouble. The Cardian..." Ami whispered. "Rei recognized the Cardian's evil aura."

"Sorry, Mamoru!" Usagi apologized. "I have to go now! I'll be back later."

"Oh, see you later." Ami bowed slightly, taking off after Usagi and leaving the two males behind.

* * *

At Good Friends Nursery School...

"Amaderasu!" the Cardian appeared in the sky.

"Hold it right there!" Sailor Mars demanded, jumping in before the Cardian could attack. "Stealing life energy from darling little babies is unforgivable!"

"You don't belong to this world!" Sailor Jupiter added.

"Crescent Beam!" Sailor Venus wasted no time in summoning her attack. The Cardian dodged the attack and blew red energy bubbles that surrounded the infants. Lifting the trapped infants, it surrounded itself with them.

"Coward!" Sailor Mars retorted when she realized that the Cardian had used the babies as a shield.

"We can't attack her like this!" Sailor Jupiter noted.

"Amaderasu!" the Cardian released a stream of lightning at the three Senshi.

"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!" Usagi transformed when she and Ami arrived on scene.

"Mercury Millennium Power, Make Up!" Ami followed suit.

"Amaderasu!" the Cardian attacked the newcomers, knocking Sailor Moon off her feet. Millennial Sailor Mercury jumped back to dodge the attack.

"What is this?" Sailor Moon gasped when the Cardian's threads reached over to the two and draining them of their energy.

"I'm losing my strength." Millennial Sailor Mercury remarked.

"Ama, ama!" the Cardian screeched when a white rose cut its face, releasing the two Senshi from its threads and the babies from its bubbles.

"Sundays are supposed to be quiet days for us to spend quality time with our families." the Moonlight Knight declared on the roof. "I shall not allow a monster to run amok!"

"Moonlight Knight-sama!" Sailor Moon gasped.

"Babies are adorable." the Moonlight Knight continued, the Cardian's spell disappearing from around the babies. "Nothing is better than babies smiles when we kiss their tender cheeks."

"That's right. Trying to use babies as a shield is unforgivable!" Millennial Sailor Mercury agreed. "I'm mad now!"

"Ice Blast!" she charged up an ice ball between her cupped hands and tossed it at the Cardian, freezing it instantly.

"Wow! When did you get that new power, Sailor Mercury?" Sailor Moon was stunned.

"Always had it, I just didn't know how to use it." Millennial Sailor Mercury replied. "Besides, it's because stole energy from the precious babies. It must have increased my anger."

"Sailor Moon," she added. "If you don't hurry, it will melt in the sun's heat!"

"Oh, then here I go!" Sailor Moon agreed. "I'm really, really mad! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Moon Princess Elimination!" she released her attack.

"Cleansing!" the Cardian cried when the attack swept over it. Returning to its card form, the card landed on the ground and turned black.

"When you take care of a baby for the first time, you learn to appreciate a mother's love." the Moonlight Knight concluded as the Senshi looked at the wailing babies. "Adieu!"

"Moonlight Knight-sama!" Sailor Moon swooned after he disappeared.

* * *

After the battle...

"What? Manami's mom is leaving the hospital?" Usagi gasped.

"Manami!" the child's mother smiled at her son when she arrived at Mamoru's apartment to reach the child. "Fortunately, I'm able to leave the hospital one day early. Thank you for everything."

"No, not at all." Mamoru waved her thanks aside.

"I wish we could have done more." Usagi added.

"Hey Manami," she knelt beside the child. "It's sad, but it's time to say goodbye."

"But it's still best for him to be raised by his real mother." Mamoru added. "Right, Manami?"

"Yeah, I know." Usagi agreed.

"Mamoru!" Manami looked at him.

"Usagi!" he turned to the blond.

"Bye-bye!" he chirped as his mother pushed him off in his stroller.

"Manami..." Usagi mumbled after the infant's mother bowed her thanks again and headed back home.

"Spoke!" Mamoru finished her sentence.

"He did it! He did it! All right!" the two whooped, clasping each other's hands in joy. "Hurray!"

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	14. ARC 2: Queen Rei Sings With Passion

SailorStar9: Chapter 12 goes up. This is Chapter 13.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 13: The Culture Fest is for Me?! Queen Rei Sings With Passion

* * *

Time passes...

"Hey girls, look what I have here!" Makoto declared, dressed in a Shrine outfit and holding onto a love amulet. "Hikawa Shrine's amulets are the perfect cure for the lovesick! How good is it? No matter how many times my heart gets broken, I found a new boyfriend every single time!"

"If you have our amulets, you won't need to worry about breaking up!" Grandpa Hino reminded.

"Give me one!" one of the visiting schoolgirls requested.

"Me too!" her companion added.

"Here!" a Shrine Priestess-clad Minako handed an amulet to the visiting girls. "If anything happens, please come by again!"

"I told you! Something will never happen!" Grandpa Hino reminded.

"Oops, that's right." Minako stuck out her tongue.

"Being a shrine priestess isn't an easy job." she remarked during their break.

"Well, thank you for your hard work." Grandpa Hino smiled.

"Grandpa!" Usagi called out.

"Oh, Usagi!" Grandpa Hino looked at the blond.

"What's going on, both of you?" Ami asked, noting the priestess outfits.

"Where is Rei?" Usagi inquired.

"She's the head of the cultural festival executive committee or something," Grandpa Hino replied. "So she's been coming home late recently. Why don't you also be shrine maidens?"

"Well, the outfits are cool, but I couldn't memorize sutras or anything." Usagi sweatdropped.

"This is a shrine! We don't chant sutras." Grandpa Hino reminded.

* * *

At T.A Girls' School...

"More to the left! Raise the left side a little higher!" Rei instructed on the stage. "That's good, okay!"

"Rei-sama..." one of the helpers started.

"What is it?" Rei turned and glared at the two girls.

"Excuse me, about the class participating exhibition..." the girl begun.

"If it's about the exhibition, I already explained it to you yesterday!" Rei retorted. "How many times do I have to repeat it? I'm busy with the stage preparation right now!"

"But if you're not with us, we don't know what to do." the girl replied as Rei proceeded to walk off..

"Okay, I will be there soon." Rei told her.

"Who put the equipment here?"she demanded, seeing the sound equipment backstage. "Hurry up and move it somewhere else!"

"Rei-sama is so wonderful." one of backstage helpers swooned.

"I know..." her companion agreed. "Without her, this year's culture festival could never be a success."

"You two, why don't you get moving, instead of moving your mouths?" Rei turned to the two.

"Yes!" the two chorused.

"Oh! Rei-sama talked to me!" the first girl swooned.

"I'm so happy!" her companion added.

"Honestly, I'm so busy I could even use the help of cats." Rei sighed.

"Rei!" Usagi called out.

"Oh, Usagi." Rei looked up to see the rest of the Senshi approach.

"Here they are. I brought you Luna and Artemis." Usagi remarked.

"What?" Rei blinked.

"You just said you were so busy that you could use the help of cats." Usagi pointed out.

"Did you just come here so you could say that?" Rei sweatdropped.

"Of course not!" Usagi replied, tossing the two cats off. "We brought you something!"

"Here, this is from Mako." Ami handed the lunch box over.

"Oh, thank you." Rei beamed, taking the handkerchief wrapped lunch box.

"Hey, Rei. Can we watch from here?" Usagi requested.

"Go right ahead. I'm having my rehearsal now." Rei replied.

When everything was prepared, Rei stood in the spotlight and begun to sing, "I can't leave you alone. I'll help you because we're friends..." and trailed off with the light colors were turned different to what was expected.

"Hey spotlight girls!" she looked up at the girls responsible for the lights. "This is not a cabaret! Think of which color to pick!"

"Cabaret?" one of the girls echoed.

"Rei-sama, what do the spotlights of a cabaret look like?" her companion asked.

"Just forget it. Take a five minute break." Rei sweatdropped after a while.

"They're so laid back, they wear me out." she complained to Usagi and Ami backstage.

"Rei, that was a pretty nice song. Whose song was that?" Usagi asked.

"You think so? You have good taste." Rei beamed. "I wrote the lyrics and composed all the songs for my concert."

"What?" the two girls blinked as Rei showed them the music score.

"What?" Rei demanded. "Is it wrong that I wrote both the lyrics and the music?"

"Oh! We didn't say that!" Usagi laughed nervously.

"It's like this cultural festival exists to promote your song." Ami pointed out.

"Of course!" Rei replied. "If it's not for promoting my song, why would I work as the head of the executive committee and oversee this stage? I have to get something out of it!"

"I see! She's still the Rei we know." Artemis remarked.

"I'm glad you're still the same!" Usagi added.

* * *

Outside on a tree...

"I see. A cultural festival?" Seijuro noted.

"So, on the day of the festival, this place will be filled with youthful energy." Nastumi concluded.

"We cannot miss this opportunity." Seijuro added, licking his lips.

"I agree. I bet the Makaiju will be happy." Nastumi concurred.

* * *

Some nights in the Hikawa Shrine...

"Rei!" Usagi started. "Finally, it will be tomorrow."

"We'll take the day off being shrine maidens tomorrow and go watch." Makoto offered.

"Oh, but Grandpa said he's coming too." Rei pointed out.

"Oh, if it's about the shrine, Yuchiro will take care of it." Makoto explained.

"But it's amazing how you can write both the lyrics and the music!" Minako awed.

"I know! You must have spent hours!" Ami added.

"Nope, not at all!" Rei shook her head. "I wrote the lyrics in no time. And I was easily able to imagine the music, so I didn't have any trouble with it at all. It was a piece of cake! I guess it's because of my talent!"

"Rei, you're so awesome!" Usagi gushed.

"Oh man, you're a Senshi." Artemis reminded her. "Is it okay for you to be spending so much time on something like this?"

"Well, it's okay once in a while." Luna added.

* * *

The next day...

"There really are only girls here." Grandpa Hino noted.

"Yeah!" he whooped.

"Hi girls. You're so cute." he approached two Cinema Club members immediately. "Why don't you work as a shrine maiden at my shrine?"

"I am so sorry, but we are not allowed to work part-time." one of them replied.

"Excuse us." her companion added.

"Goodbye." the two chorused and walked off.

"Goodbye." Grandpa Hino remarked and sighed. "Even I'm no match for such ladies."

"Hey, hey, where are the octopus balls?" Usagi inquired, entering with Makoto and Minako. "How about fried noodles and curry rice?"

"Now, now." Makoto chided.

"Where is Ami?" Luna asked.

"Oh, she went to see some kind of research presentation." Minako replied.

"Okay, say cheese!" the three girls posed in kimonos for the Japanese Dance Club.

"I did it!" Makoto winked, winning the Homemade Cake Contest.

"Hey, look over there! It looks interesting!" Usagi and Minako awed at the numbers clubs as the three passed by. "They're doing fortune-telling!"

"Oh, I can't do this." Usagi whined, stuck in the middle of her ring puzzle.

"What?" Minako blinked, missing the gold ball when she tried out her hand at the Gold Lovers Club.

Meanwhile, Rei and Ami sighed as they were stuck in a 'Feeling Couple' competition.

* * *

Outside...

"It's as if the energy is overflowing." Nastumi noted.

"Yeah, let's enjoy this to the fullest." Seijuro agreed.

"Yes." Nastumi concurred.

"I thought so." Sakurako beamed when she saw Seijuro after Junko caught him by the arm.

"He is the perfect man! Junko-san, measure him quickly!" the third girl instructed.

"Yes!" Junko nodded.

"What is this?" Seijuro demanded.

"This way please." one of the three girls pulled Nastumi aside.

"Please extend your arms out." Junko requested.

"What?" Seijuro was confused.

"Please extend your arms, like this!" Junko demonstrated.

"Like this?" Seijuro followed her example.

"Good!" Junko nodded, revealing her measuring tape. "Oh, might I ask you to squat down a little?"

"But..." Seijuro protested.

"Hurry!" Junko urged.

"What is this for?" Seijuro asked as Junko quickly measured him.

"Be quiet!" Junko hushed.

"He is perfect!" she beamed.

"She is, too!" her companion added, having measured Nastumi off scene.

"It was worth it to search for the perfect model until the last minute!" Sakurako remarked. "Let us hurry!"

"Wait! What is this about?" Seijuro asked as he was being pulled off.

"Oh, pardon me." Sakurako explained. "I am Sakurako Ougi, a member of the Fashion Designing Club. We would like you two to model the clothes we designed."

"Model?" Nastumi echoed.

"Yes." Sakurako replied. "Our theme is 'Aliens From Outer Space'!"

_Uh-oh!_ Seijuro and Nastumi winced.

"Ali..." Nastumi whispered.

"To think they would find out who we are so quickly..." Seijuro muttered. "This girl may not be just any ordinary girl."

"What's that matter? You look pale." Sakurako noted. "Please don't tell me that at your age, you still believe in something as unrealistic as aliens?'

"Of course, not!" Seijuro laughed nervously, relieved that their cover was not blown.

"Okay, let's go!" Junko pulled the twins along.

"Oh, but..." the twins stammered a protest to no avail.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"The concert held by the queen of our T.A School for Girls, Rei Hino, will soon begin in the large auditorium." the intercom sounded. "Please bring your friends and join us. Thank you."

"Wow! I didn't know Rei was the queen of this campus." Makoto noted.

"I know. Everyone depended on Rei for this culture festival." Ami agreed.

"Then she must have great leadership skills." Artemis muttered.

"Yeah, I wish someone would learn something from her." Luna whispered.

"Luna, I'll smack you!" Usagi fumed.

"Please! Don't say that after you've already smacked me." Luna whined, a lump on her head as Artemis sweatdropped.

"Let's hurry, or else we won't find any seats." Minako remarked.

"Yeah, let's go." Usagi agreed, the girls entering the auditorium.

******************************************************************************************

Backstage...

"Are you ready?" Sakurako looked at her newest recruits.

"What is this about?" a dressed-up Seijuro inquired.

"This is a fashion show." Sakurako replied.

"It's the opening show for Rei-sama." Junko beamed.

"Fashion show?" Seijuro echoed.

"An opening act?" Nastumi repeated.

"Are you ready?" Sakurako asked.

Not waiting for their answer, she pushed them on-stage, "Go!"

"Oh, hello..." Seijuro composed himself when the lights turned on, the twins suddenly found themselves in the spotlight.

"So, they're this year's victims. I feel so sorry for them." one of the T.A girls present giggled, the girls on campus already knowing what this was all about.

"They like us." Seijuro told his 'twin' amidst the cheering crowd.

"It's not too bad." Nastumi agreed.

"Look at those two!" Usagi remarked as the twins posed after changing costumes.

"That's Nastumi and Seijuro." Ami added.

"You're right." Minako agreed.

"I wonder if he decided to give up the handsome boy image?" Makoto pondered.

"Oh, I can feel the energy level rising." Seijuro breathed in the air as they posed after another costume change.

"I think this is the perfect place to steal energy." Nastumi added, feeling the energy level with an open palm.

"I agree. There is nowhere else with so much energy." Seijuro agreed.

"Even in this auditorium, this is the best spot." Nastumi remarked.

"Humans, just stay here and wait." Seijuro smirked as the curtain closed.

"Thank you for your warm applause." the MC said. "The following performance is Hino Rei's concert."

"Finally, it's Rei's turn." Minako noted.

"Wow, I'm getting nervous." Usagi remarked.

"Usagi, you're not the one singing." Ami reminded her.

"That's true, Ami." Usagi sweatdropped.

"It's starting." Makoto hushed as the curtain raised, revealing Rei.

"Hi everyone. I'm Hino Rei." Rei introduced herself. "Please just call me Rei! Thank you for coming to see Rei today. Rei is so happy!"

"Oh boy." Luna muttered.

"She's completely in character." Artemis agreed.

"Rei, that's my girl!" Grandpa Hino cheered.

"I will sing with all my heart for you." Rei smiled.

"Rei, you look great!" Usagi shouted, causing the three girls to sweatdrop.

"I can't leave you alone. I'll help you because we're friends." Rei begun to sing. "Let's work together..."

* * *

Outside the auditorium dome...

"Now, pick the Cardian." Ali instructed.

"Come forth, Cardian Seiren!" he ordered, after Ann picked a card. Playing his flute, he summoned the Cardian.

"Seiren!" the Cardian appeared in a burst of water.

* * *

Inside the auditorium...

_This evil aura!_ Rei stopped singing and frowned.

"Seiren!" the mermaid Cardian declared as it spread glittering dust at the audience.

"What's that?" Usagi gasped.

"It's a Cardian!" Ami replied.

"Stay away from those gold flakes!" Artemis warned.

"Hello, cutie! Won't you work as a part-time shrine maiden?" Grandpa Hino shouted at the Cardian, everyone else fainting upon touching the dust.

"It's really fun." he barely managed to finish his sentence before succumbing to the dust himself.

"Great." Ami muttered.

"Armor Brand." she summoned a forcefield, guarding herself and the girls from the gold flakes.

* * *

Outside the auditorium...

"Well, it seems to be working." Ali noted.

"Then, let's wait for the results by the Makaiju." Ann suggested.

"Yes." Ali agreed. Joining hands, the two teleported away.

* * *

Inside the auditorium...

"Seiren!" the Cardian now turned its attention to Rei.

Its hair-tie breaking off, the Cardian let loose its hair.

"Rei!" Usagi gasped.

"Oh, no!" Makoto gaped.

"Mercury Millennium Power!" Ami pulled out her henshinn pen.

"Moon Crystal Power!" Usagi followed suit.

"Jupiter Power!" Makoto shouted.

"Venus Power!" Minako called out.

"Make Up!" the four Senshi chorused.

Dragon Solaris wisely turned away.

"I'm a Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Moon!" Sailor Moon declared.

"Millennial Sailor Mercury!" Millennial Sailor Mercury announced.

"Sailor Jupiter!" Sailor Jupiter added.

"Sailor Venus!" Sailor Venus concluded.

"We've arrived!" the four Senshi chorused.

Meanwhile, Rei was caught within the Cardian's hair.

"I can't breathe... my energy is..." the fiery Priestess gasped as the Cardian drained her energy.

"Sun Plasma Beam!" A massive beam of plasma started coming out of Dragon Solaris' palm, freeing Rei from the Cardian.

"Seiren!" the Cardian turned to its new opponents after dropping Rei, grabbing Millennial Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter with its hair.

"Rei, hang on!" Sailor Moon pleaded.

"Watch out!" Luna shouted as the Cardian's hair came towards the two blond Senshi.

"Seiren!" the Cardian then proceeded to drain the four Senshi.

"It's draining my energy." Sailor Jupiter muttered as Millennial Sailor Mercury sunk to her knees.

"I can't..." Sailor Moon moaned.

"It hurts..." Sailor Venus mumbled.

"Everyone.. wait for me..." Rei muttered.

"Oh, Rei!" Artemis gasped.

"You can't fight in this condition!" Luna shouted.

"Mars Power, Make Up!" Rei transformed.

"Ruining my concert and stealing my devoted fans' energy." Sailor Mars declared. "You'll pay for this! In he name of Mars, I will chastise you!"

Solaris Knight caught her before she collapsed.

Nodding her thanks, Sailor Mars readied her attack, "Fire Soul!"

The Cardian was encased in a pillar of flames, its hair burning off and it dropped the Senshi.

"Seiren!" the mermaid Cardian doused the flames with a water sprout form its mouth.

"Seiren!" it glared at the fire Senshi.

"I can't believe this. Fire Soul didn't work on her!" Sailor Mars gasped in horror.

"I don't think I can keep going on like this." Sailor Moon remarked, getting up, before fainting. "Sailor Mars, please take care..."

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mars shouted at the unconscious Senshi.

"Seiren!" the Cardian charged.

"Armor Brand." Solaris Knight formed a forcefield to guard himself and Sailor Mars.

"Sei..." it barely made its cry out when a white rose intercepted its attack.

"In a corner of the soundless universe, there is a star that plays a beautiful melody. That is this Earth." the Moonlight Knight remarked. "No matter who she is, the Moonlight Knight will not forgive anybody who tries to stop this beautiful music."

_Moonlight Knight..._ Solaris Knight pondered. _This aura... could it be..._

"Moonlight Knight-sama!" Sailor Mars beamed.

"Sailor Mars, I want to listen to your beautiful singing voice one more time." the Moonlight Knight told her.

"Moonlight Knight-sama..." Sailor Mars muttered.

"Pressure Wave!" Solaris Knight fired his energy wave at the charging Cardian, the mermaid countering with a wave of water of its own, knocking the music scores off the stand.

Sailor Mars gasped at the falling and torn music scores, recalling the sleepless nights she spent composing and putting the song together.

"I won't forgive you!" she hissed. "I won't let you get away with it!"

"Gravity Hold!" Solaris Knight released a wave of invisible energy, trapping the Cardian within the energy cage.

"Sailor Mars, now!" he shouted.

Sailor Mars nodded. Pulling out an anti-evil scroll, she chanted, "Begone, evil spirit!"

"Fire Soul Bird!" she called out her new attack, the anti-evil scroll straightening. The fire ball from her 'Fire Soul' attack then flew through the anti-evil scroll, changing into a flame phoenix in the process.

"Seiren!" the Cardian struggled to break free from Dragon Solaris' energy cage to no avail as the fire phoenix charged towards it and shot through the Cardian like a fire arrow.

"Sailor Mars has awakened to her true powers, too!" Artemis realized, the Senshi's stolen energy returning to their bodies.

"They got their energy back!" Luna beamed, Solaris Knight pulling Millennial Sailor Mercury up.

"Sailor Moon, do it now!" Sailor Mars turned to the Moon Senshi.

"Leave it to me!" Sailor Moon replied.

"Moon Princess Elimination!" she fired her attack.

"Cleansing!" the Cardian screeched as the attack washed over it. Returning to its card form, the card turned black just as before.

"Excellent, Sailor Senshi!" the Moonlight Knight praised. "Let us not forget to always keep the light in our hearts."

"Adieu." he bade the Senshi farewell and disappeared.

"Moonlight Knight-sama!" Sailor Moon gashed.

* * *

Later...

In a corner of the soundless universe, there is a star that plays a beautiful melody. That is this Earth." Rei repeated the Moonlight Knight's words. "The last song is entitled, 'Eternal Melody'. Please enjoy."

"I raise my heart to the sun, and you are there." she sang. "Even though I can't say 'I love you', you're still in my heart. Say, thank you for giving me courage. Look, I have a brand new power. It envelops everything and shines I've always been madly in love with you. Your smile opens up, just like a seed floating in the air sprouts. A dream is clearer than the blue of the skies and the seas."

"Say, Rei?" Usagi begun after the concert.

"Yeah?" Rei blinked at the girl beside her, the other three sitting slightly further away as they watched the bonfire.

"You were really wonderful out there." Usagi replied.

"Usagi..." Rei blushed slightly.

"I guess you're actually a hard worker." Usagi added, as the song echoed in their minds. _It was your eyes that taught me that._

"You want me to teach you a thing or two?" Rei grinned.

"You would be perfect if you kept your mouth shut!" Usagi fumed.

"What did you say?" Rei demanded. "I wouldn't waste my time teaching you!"

"I wouldn't want you too!" Usagi shot back.

"I wouldn't teach you, even if I had nothing better to do!" Rei retorted.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	15. ARC 2: Mako chan Falls in Love

SailorStar9: Chapter 13 goes up. This is Chapter 14.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 14: Is Seijuro the Moonlight Knight? Mako-chan Falls in Love

* * *

Time passes...

"A mysterious man who shows up and saves us whenever we're in danger." Ami mused.

"Hurry up!" a kindergartner urged his friends and a group of youngsters rushed to school.

"The way he sad 'Adieu' when he leaves..." Makoto flushed. "It's just like my senior at school who broke my heart."

"What?" Ami exclaimed. "Then, the senior you liked always said, 'Adieu' when he leaves?"

"I just mean it reminds me of him." Makoto sweatdropped.

"Good morning, Naru!" Umino greeted the redhead.

"Good morning, Umino." Naru returned.

"Here!" Umino presented a lunch box to her. "I made another lunch just for you!"

"Did you happen to make more fried shrimp?" Naru sweatdropped.

"I have green peppers and okras and of course, fried shrimp!" Umino beamed. "I care about the variety of side dishes."

"Shrimp, shrimp, lala, lala, lala." he sang, dragging Naru off to school as Ami and Makoto sweatdropped.

"I noticed that making lunch for your boyfriend is pretty popular right now." Ami noted.

"I haven't made lunch for anyone in a while now." Makoto added.

"Mako?" Ami blinked. "Oh, honestly! Usagi didn't show up! We were supposed to discuss the identity of the Moonlight Knight."

"Do you really think she would get up early and come?" Makoto chuckled, standing up.

Ami sweatdropped and laughed nervously.

* * *

"I'm late!" Usagi exclaimed, rushing out of her house.

"Usagi! You forgot your lunch!" Luna called out, running after her. Tripping over a stone, the cat fell over, causing the lunch box to fly up into the sky. Skidding forward, the cat caught the runaway lunch box.

* * *

In school...

"Tsukino-san!" Miss Haruna reprimanded. "Not only were you late and also forgot your homework, but you also fell asleep in class!"

"I'm very sorry." Usagi mumbled.

"Are you really?" Miss Haruna sweatdropped. "Oh well. Go have your lunch."

"Yes madam." Usagi sighed and turned.

"But I forgot my lunch." she added as she walked away.

_I'm so jealous._ She turned to look at a couple passing by, the girl having a lunch box in his hand, her mouth drooling.

"If I had known I would be late earlier, I would've have breakfast." she teared.

"I can't believe you, Kazu." the girl giggled as the couple passed by Miss Haruna.

"I'm so jealous." the teacher repeated Usagi's thought.

* * *

Elsewhere on campus...

"Here you go, Naru!" Umino offered the lunch box to the redhead.

"Open wide." he speared a fried shrimp and offered it to Naru. Behind a tree, Usagi drooled.

"No..." Naru protested mildly, blushing.

"Don't be shy! Here, open wide!" Umino insisted.

"It's okay." Naru pushed the shrimp back.

"You're so shy!" Umino prodded as Usagi sweatdropped.

"But!" Naru protested.

"It'd be too pathetic to bother them right now." Usagi decided.

"Oh, I know! She beamed, remembering Makoto. "I should ask Mako to share her yummy lunch with me!"

"Here, open wide." Umino pressed.

"You're so persistent!" Naru blushed.

"Open wide." Umino insisted.

"Hey, Usagi isn't here." Makoto noted as she and Ami walked through campus.

"I wanted to talk about the topic from this morning." Ami remarked.

"Oh?" she blinked when Seijuro's flute sounded.

"That's..." Makoto gasped.

"It's wonderful. Wow." the crowding schoolgirls gushed.

"She's not here either." Ami added, the two entering the music room. "I thought she would be here."

"It's such a nice melody. I could lose myself in it." Makoto remarked.

"Oh, Mako!" Ami teased. "Is he also like the senior who broke your heart?"

"No, but both of them love music." Makoto replied.

Ami sweatdropped before a thought came to her, "Oh! Speaking of Seijuro, he came to this school around the same time that the Moonlight Knight started showing up."

"What? No way... him?" Makoto gasped at her implication.

"It couldn't be." Ami waved her conclusion aside.

"Seijuro! Please eat my lunch!" the fangirls squealed after the song ended. "No, please eat mine!"

"Sorry." Seijuro replied, silencing the girls. "But I don't eat lunch."

"No! That's not good for you! Seijuro, please eat!" the girls insisted.

Pushing past the girls, Seijuro exited the music room, Makoto blushing as he neared her.

"Seijuro! Please wait! Please eat!" the fangirls hurried after him.

_If... if he's Moonlight Knight-sama..._ Makoto wondered, flushing.

"Mako? Mako?" Ami blinked at the daydreaming Jovian Senshi.

"I haven't been this excited for a long time!" Makoto snapped out of her reverie.

Turning to a sweatdropping Ami, she added, "Ami, leave it to me to investigate whether or not Senior Ginga and the Moonlight Knight are one and the same."

"Okay, now." she walked off, but not before giving Ami a slap on the back.

"Mako, what's going on now?" the blue-haired girl sighed.

"Seijuro!" the fangirls screamed as they followed closely behind.

"What's going on?" one of the male students sweatdropped at the gushing girls who were following Seijuro.

Finally hiding behind a wall, Seijuro leapt up onto the school roof to avoid the screaming girls.

"When did he..." Makoto wondered outloud, upon seeing Seijuro on the fence as she rounded the end.

"No way! Is he really the Moonlight Knight?" she gasped when Seijuro jumped off the fence. "What should I do?"

_Well, whatever happens will happen._ She decided, tightening her hold on her lunch box and made a dash for the roof.

* * *

On the roof...

Seijuro continued his playing.

"They are truly beyond my comprehension." he sighed. "They keep saying, 'lunch, lunch'. What are they thinking?"

"That's because they like you!" Makoto burst onto the roof.

"And you are?" Seijuro looked at her.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Ami was working on a computer as she munched on her sandwich.

"The probability that Seijuro Ginga is the Moonlight Knight is 0.2%." she noted.

_It can't be him afterall._ She added mentally.

"Ami..." Usagi whined when she entered.

"Usagi?" Ami turned to the weakening blond.

"I found you at last." Usagi moaned.

"What's wrong?" Ami inquired.

"What?" she blinked at Usagi's expression at her empty lunch box.

"Lunch..." Usagi wailed.

"I finished it already." Ami sweatdropped.

"Oh! Usagi! Usagi!" she tried to shake the blond awake, Usagi having fainted from hunger.

* * *

On the roof...

_This is..._ Seijuro paled when Makoto offered him a baby octopus.

"Please try some." Makoto beamed.

"This looks like one of the sea creatures on this planet," Seijuro stammered. "But the quality of the material is different. Is there a reason why they're made to look like this?"

"Um, Seijuro, you wouldn't happen to like white roses, would you?" Makoto asked. "When you're in the mood, do you dress up in an Arabian costume and walk around wearing a cape?"

Then, she blinked when Seijuro popped the octopus into his mouth experimentally.

"Um..." she stammered. "Do you like it? Um..."

Just then, Seijuro swallowed the octopus.

"Can I have another one?" he asked.

"Of course! Please help yourself!" Makoto offered the lunch box to him. "I also made some dessert too!"

"Ail..." Nastumi silently fumed.

"Not too bad." Seijuro remarked, tasting one of the omelets.

"I used to bring lunch to him on nice days like today." Makoto reminisced. "He used to tell me how good it was. But he dumped me."

"Oh, sorry for bringing up such a weird story." she apologized to Seijuro.

"I don't understand at all." Seijuro remarked.

"What?" Makoto blinked.

"Why do they offer lunch when they like someone?" Seijuro asked.

"Huh?" Makoto blinked, before bursting into laughter.

"If it's for someone we like," she explained. "We girls try to express our feelings by doing something for them. Of course, there are times we even try things we can't do. And sometimes, we even feel we could die for that person."

"That's crazy." Seijuro remarked.

"Seijuro..." Nastumi interrupted.

"Nastumi!" Seijuro blinked at his 'sister'.

"Is she your sister?" Makoto inquired.

"Yeah..." Seijuro replied.

"Seijuro, stop putting unknown objects into your body!" Nastumi chided.

"Excuse me! Regardless of how I look, I'm pretty good when it comes to cooking!" Makoto retorted. "I never use anything harmful to the body!"

"You there, please leave my brother alone." Nastumi shot back as Seijuro continued to eat.

"It's not fashionable for a sister to be jealous!" Makoto retorted.

"What did you say?" Nastumi demanded.

"What's wrong?" she turned to her choking 'brother'.

"Are you okay?" Makoto was instantly on his other side.

"Don't touch him!" Nastumi fumed.

"What did you say?" Makoto retorted, the two feuding girls ignoring the choking Seijuro who had alternated between his alien form and 'human' form.

* * *

Later after school...

"Tsukino-san, you were late for school and forgot your homework." Miss Haruna sighed at her hopeless student. "Then, you slept during class in the morning and again in the afternoon."

"I'm sorry." Usagi mumbled.

"It doesn't matter anymore. You can go home now." Miss Haruna remarked.

"Yes madam." Usagi sighed as Miss Haruna turned her around.

"Usagi, are you okay?" Ami asked, leaning against the school wall, reading her book as she waited.

"I'm so hungry that I can't feel anything." Usagi told her.

"Usagi." Luna sounded.

"Oh Luna..." Usagi looked at the cat who had brought her lunch. "Oh, that's... my lunch! It's my lunch!"

"Luna couldn't give it to you this morning." Ami added.

"Rub, rub, rub, rub." Usagi nuzzled her lunch box affectionately.

* * *

On the way back...

"I told you, it's a misunderstanding!" Seijuro insisted.

"How should I know?" Nastumi retorted.

"Ann..." Seijuro chided.

"I can't believe you actually ate human food!" Nastumi retorted. "You defiled our world, where our beautiful love is nurtured by the Makaiju's energy!"

"You're wrong! Listen to me, Ann!" Seijuro pressed.

"Senior Ginga!" Makoto called out. "Why don't we go home together?"

"Oh no..." Seijuro stammered, upon noticing Nastumi's irritated frown.

"Please go right ahead! Knock yourselves out!" Nastumi fumed.

"Ann! No, Nastumi!" Seijuro called to his enraged 'sister'.

"You don't need to worry about me! Take your time!" Nastumi stormed off.

"Oh boy..." Makoto remarked when Nastumi walked past her.

"She's just such a handful." Seijuro added.

"Since this is a good opportunity, I wanted to talk to you more." Makoto offered.

* * *

Later in the park...

"It seems like you and your sister get along very well." Makoto noted.

"You think so?" Seijuro inquired.

_Maybe Ann is angry._ He wondered.

"Oh, did you say something?" he turned to Makoto.

"I can tell. Your sister hates me now." Makoto sighed.

"No, she doesn't." Seijuro assured. "Oh, if we wanted to talk, I want to ask you something too."

"Sure! Go ahead! Ask away!" Makoto beamed.

"Well, it's about the relationship between lunch and liking someone." Seijuro replied.

"You didn't understand anything I told you?" Makoto realized

"No, I didn't'." Seijuro admitted.

"You're funny!" Makoto giggled.

"What's so funny?" Seijuro demanded.

"Because!" Makoto laughed.

"How dare he?!" Nastumi fumed behind some bushes, turning into Ann in the process.

* * *

Elsewhere...

"What? Mako's out on a date with Seijuro?" Usagi exclaimed, devouring her lunch.

"Oh, please!" Luna whined on top of Ami's head.

"Swallow before you talk." Ami chided.

"Oops, sorry." Usagi apologized.

"I didn't know if it was a date. She said she'd find out." Ami replied. "If Seijuro has something to do with the Moonlight Knight."

"There's no way Seijuro can be the Moonlight Knight! I can't believe you!" Usagi protested.

"That was good!" she finished her lunch, swallowing the late bite.

"Now, I have to go!" she added, suddenly getting up.

"Usagi!" Luna called out as Usagi took off.

"I have to find out if they're really dating!" Usagi shouted back. "Seijuro told me he liked me! That makes me so mad!"

"What the heck? She was the one who told me he was annoying." Luna sighed.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Then, love and lunch are things you just give to another person?" Seijuro inquired after Makoto explained everything all over again. "Don't you think they're just doing it for show?"

"No way!" Makoto protested.

"Love is something you should take!" Seijuro insisted. "Giving something because they love someone? I don't get it."

"You think so?" Makoto sighed. "It's kind of sad if you think love is something you should take. I think it's okay to express love in all sorts of different ways, but..."

"Shut up!" Ann retorted. "You impudent human female!"

_Ann..._ Seijuro paled.

"You need to be taught a lesson!" Ann shouted, sending an energy wave at the two.

"You're just a human." Ann smirked at the fallen Makoto, crushing the lunch box under her foot. "You don't deserve to talk about love!"

_Why, you!_ Makoto growled.

"Wait!" Seijuro tried to stop her from attacking Makoto.

Ann refused to listen and fired another energy blast at the two.

"Oh!" Usagi gasped.

"Mako!" Ami called out.

"That's..." Usagi gaped. "What's going on? What should I do?"

"You two, get Mako." Luna instructed.

"Got it!" Ami nodded.

"What about me?" Usagi asked.

"Transform and fight." Luna deathpanned.

"I knew it." Usagi sweatdropped. "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"How dare you destroy my precious lunch box?" Makoto muttered.

"What are you mumbling about?" Ann mocked. "I'll finish you off now!"

"Wait just a minute!" Sailor Moon intervened.

"Sailor Moon!" Ann growled at the Moon Senshi.

"I can't forgive anyone who ruins the date of a girl in love!" Sailor Moon shot back. You annoying pest! You're such a pest!"

"You also wanted to ruin someone's date." Luna reminded her.

"I never expected a lowly human would call me a pest!" Ann retorted.

"What did you say?" Sailor Moon demanded. "In the name of the moon, Sailor Moon ..."

"She did not manage to finish her line when Ail encased her in a tornado of power.

"I can't see anything!" Sailor Moon gasped.

"I can't move!" Millennial Sailor Mercury and Makoto were trapped inside a similar energy hurricane.

"Ali, don't interfere! You never..." Ann turned to her twin.

"Don't say anything." Ali assured her, kissing her cheek. "Ann, trust me."

"Ali..." Ann blushed.

"Here, pick the best Cardian for this place." Ali showed her a card fan.

"Okay." a flushing Ann picked out a card.

"Come forth, Cardian! My loyal servant, Utonberino!" Ali instructed, playing on his flute to summon the said Cardian.

"Utonberino!" the Cardian declared as it appeared.

"What?" Sailor Moon blinked with the energy tornado stopped.

"Mako!" Luna looked at the Jovian Senshi.

"Utonberino!" the Cardian charged, striking Sailor Moon with its spear. Sailor Moon was forced to flee when the Cardian's attack demolished the dotted hemisphere of the playground.

"Ouch!" Sailor Moon fell to the ground.

"You shall die, Sailor Moon!" Ann laughed.

"Utonberino!" the Cardian fired its twirling spear at the Moon Senshi.

* * *

Aside...

"Mako, hang on!" Millennial Sailor Mercury prodded.

"Yeah, I'm okay." Makoto told her. "She blasted the feelings I put into my lunch, so it's time for payback!"

"Yes!" Millennial Sailor Mercury nodded.

"Wait." Solaris Knight told her. "Ever Fight!"

Makoto nodded her thanks and raised her henshin pen, "Jupiter Power, Make Up!"

"Sailor Jupiter!" The Senshi declared.

"Jupiter!" Sailor Moon beamed at her rescuer.

"Leave the rest of me!" Sailor Jupiter requested.

"Utonberino, get those Sailor Senshi!" Ali instructed.

"Utonberino!" the Cardian roared.

"Rino, rino, rino rino!" it declared, firing its seaweed tentacles at the Senshi and catching Sailor Moon.

"Supreme!" Sailor Jupiter was about to fire her attack after dodging the seaweed before she was caught by the seaweed as well. "Shoot!"

"Jupiter!" Luna gasped.

"Excellent job, Utonberino!" Ali laughed.

"Roll them into a ball while you're at it!" Ann added.

"Rino!" the Cardian declared, firing some more seaweed at the trapped Senshi.

"Icy Fog!" Millennial Sailor Mercury's attack blinded the Cardian.

"Pressure Wave!" Solaris Knight attack freed the two Senshi.

"The moonlight still shines on those who wander after losing their love." the Moonlight Knight announced on top of a lamp post. "Love that you give at the risk of your life. That is true love. It is something that is filled with courage and shines brilliantly."

"Love and courage..." Sailor Jupiter echoed. "I understand! I will lay my life down for my precious friends!"

"My guardian, Jupiter!" she chanted. "Brew a storm! Call the clouds! Send down the lightning!"

"Supreme Thunder Dragon!" she called forth her elemental dragon.

"Rino, rino!" the Cardian cried as the lightning dragon literally devoured it. "Rino, rino, rino, rino!"

"Rino!" it struggled to get up.

"How dare she?" Ann fumed.

"Crescent Beam Shower!" Sailor Venus' attack came in.

"Watch out!" Ali moved in front of Ann, the two teleporting out of the stream of energy's way.

"Fire Soul!" Sailor Mars added in her attack, the two aliens dodging the fireball.

"Rino!" the Cardian charged.

"Sailor Moon, finish it now!" Sailor Jupiter remarked.

"Gotcha!" Sailor Moon replied. "Moon Princess Elimination!"

"Cleansing!" the Cardian cried as the attack washed over it. Then, it returned to its card form and the card turned black just as before.

"Damn!" Ali cursed, the twins disappearing.

"Well done, Sailor Senshi." the Moonlight Knight praised.

"Moonlight Knight-sama, who are you?" Sailor Jupiter asked.

"One day, you shall know who I am." the Moonlight Knight told her. "Adieu."

"Oh, wait!" Sailor Jupiter called out when the Moonlight Knight disappeared from sight.

"Jupiter." Millennial Sailor Mercury looked at the Jovian Senshi.

"He knows what love is all about." Sailor Jupiter concluded. "He's not Seijuro Ginga."

"Of course he's not!" Sailor Moon remarked.

"He's just like my senior who broke my heart, afterall!" Sailor Jupiter gushed, causing the rest of the girls to anime-fall and Solaris Knight to sweatdrop.

"Next time, I'll bring him my lunch filled with my love!" she beamed.

* * *

Back in the Juuban Odyssey...

"It's done!" Ali beamed.

"What is this?" Ann inquired.

"Well, apparently, this is how Earthlings express their love." Ali told her, revealing a messy plate of food.

"Ali, you made this for me?" Ann gushed. "I'm so happy!"

"But what am I supposed to do with this?" she blinked at the messy pile of food.

"Beats me, I have no idea." Ali admitted.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	16. ARC 2: Ann’s Snow White Strategy

SailorStar9: Chapter 14 goes up. This is Chapter 15.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 15: Steal Mamoru's Kiss! Ann's Snow White Strategy

* * *

Time passes...

"Wow! This is rare! Usagi, are you studying English?" Luna leapt onto the studying table. "Hello? Hello!"

"Of course, what else?" she sighed at the dozing Usagi.

"But I wonder if she's having a romantic dream like this story?" she wondered, looking at the opened 'Snow White' book. "Yes! One day, I want to share a burning and passionate kiss with a handsome tomcat!"

Stepping onto a pencil, the cat skidded off the table and awakened Usagi in the process.

"And I was dreaming of eating a gigantic meat bun!" the blond whined, holding her nose in pain.

"A meat bun?" Luna sweatdropped. "What happened to the romance of young girls?"

* * *

In the Juuban Odyssey...

"Do we really need to study English?" Ali asked as Ann read the 'Snow White' story. "If we have that much time, shouldn't we try to figure out how to collect energy instead?"

When Ann remained unresponsive, Ali snorted and walked out.

_Love is something we should take._ The alien girl mused. _Kissing and winning the love of a person who has been sleeping. That is it! I'm going to kiss Mamoru's lips and win his love!_

* * *

The next morning...

"Sorry, I'm late!" Usagi apologized once she arrived at the Hikawa Shrine.

"Don't worry. It's nothing new." Rei remarked.

"Rei, why did you ask us to come here so quickly?" Usagi fumed. "Did a Cardian show up again?"

"No, it didn't." Rei replied. "Actually Mamoru is in trouble."

"What!? Mamoru is?" Usagi exclaimed. "Did he hurt himself? Oh no! That would be so sad!"

"No, it's not it." Rei sighed at the wailing blond.

"It seems like Mamoru has to perform a play at Juuban Hall." Ami explained.

"What? A play?" Usagi inquired.

"Right. According to him, his friends were supposed to be in it." Rei added. "But they had a fight over the casting, and they all left."

"So, Mamoru has to find new people, but it's not that easy." Makoto remarked.

"Of course, Mamoru is very responsible." Rei noted, handing the wish board to Usagi. "He wants the play to be successful, so he came here to pray for its success."

"Then, I'll help him!" Usagi beamed.

* * *

Later...

"You're going to participate in my play?" Mamoru blinked at the girls' proposal.

"That's right! We decided to go with Rei's suggestion to do Snow White!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Snow White?" Mamoru echoed.

"And! And, and..." Rei added enthusiastically. "Since I came up with the idea, I think I should play Snow White!"

"That's not fair! Snow White should be played by somebody's who's cute!" Usagi retorted. "And of course, that'll be me."

"Hey, don't settle this just between the two of you." Makoto interjected. "Snow White should be played by the person with the biggest chest! That would be me!"

"You are not!" Usagi and Rei fumed.

"Do you want to compare?" Makoto challenged.

"Hold it!" Minako shouted. "Snow White should be played by somebody who is refined and elegant. And that would be me."

"Gag." the three girls remarked.

"Since I'm always busy with cram school and homework, Snow White should be perfect for me." Ami voiced. "Because she sleeps most of the time and doesn't have that many lines."

"Humph!" the four girls snorted at a sweatdropping Ami.

"Excuse me, but we have more characters." Mamoru pointed out. "There's the prince and the mean queen too."

"We've all already agreed that you should play the prince!" Minako informed him.

"The problem is who is going to play Snow White?" Usagi added.

"That's right!" the girls returned to their argument.

"Since I came up with Snow White, it should be me." Rei insisted.

"Considering our figures, it should be me." Makoto interjected.

"It should be the elegant me!" Minako protested.

Ami sighed as the four girls argued, "This could take a while."

"You should not be so egocentric!" Umino chided.

"You're all so selfish!" Naru agreed.

"You shut up!" the four girls chorused.

"My friends argued about the same thing and ended up leaving." Mamoru sighed.

"Everyone, there's a good way to decide who will play Snow White!" Nastumi intervened.

"Oh, Nastumi..." Usagi blinked when the alien girl in disguise pulled out a bunch of paper straws.

"So what is this good idea?" Rei asked.

"How bout drawing lots to help us decide in this case?" Nastumi offered. "I'll participate in your play as well. If you get a twisted paper string with a white tip, you'll be Snow White a red tip means the queen, and blue tips will the the dwarves. Of course, I'll take the last one left. So, please!"

"Okay then, I'll draw first!" Usagi decided, drawing out a paper straw.

"Oh!" she sweatdropped when she drew the red tip. "Oh, I have to play the mean queen!"

"You certainly aren't very lucky, Tsukino-san." Nastumi remarked.

"No, I don't wanna, I don't wanna!" Usagi wailed.

With static electricity sparkling, everyone else picked their respective straws.

"Oh!" they sweatdropped when they realized they had each drawn a blue tip.

"Everybody got blue." Makoto sighed.

"Oh my. It looks like none of you are lucky at drawing straws." Nastumi noted, picking the last straw, revealing its white tip.

"Oh!" everyone else gasped in shock.

"It seems I'll be the one playing Snow White, sorry." Nastumi concluded, showing the white tip.

"I'm so disappointed." Usagi sobbed.

_They are so dumb._ Nastumi grinned, revealing the torn-off blue tip in her hand after she walked off. _No one suspects that tampered with those strings._

* * *

Later...

"You need one more person to play the dwarf?" Ali inquired after Ann told him. "I refuse! I want the role of the prince!"

"We already have a person playing the prince." Ann informed him. "That would be impossible."

"Then, I don't want to participate!" Ali retorted.

"Then we have no choice but to do the play with six dwarves." Ann concluded before disappearing. "And here I promised Mizuno-san that you would help."

_A play at Juuban Hall._ Ali mused.

Tossing a card, he summoned a Cardian.

"Come forth, Cardian Bipierrot!" he played on his flute to summon the Cardian.

"Bipierrot!" the Cardian declared.

"There will be many people at the Juuban Hall next week. Steal all their energy from them in one fell swoop!" Ali instructed.

"Bipierrot." the Cardian remarked.

* * *

Time passes...

"What? You're going to do it, again?" the girls chorused in unison while rehearsing in the Juuban Public Hall.

"The sleeping Snow White accepts the princes' passionate kiss." Nastumi reasoned, while lying on a bench. "This is the climax of the story. We have to practice it as many times as we can!"

"Now, Mamoru, let's practice the scene one more time, please." she requested.

Mamoru sighed, "Okay then, just one more time."

"Ready? Start!" he instructed.

"Oh Princess! Please accept my love on your lovely lips and wake from your eternal sleep." Mamoru acted his part.

_No! Please don't kiss her for real! Please don't!_ Usagi panicked when she saw Mamoru lean over to kiss Nastumi.

_This is my chance!_ The 'sleeping' Nastumi decided, reaching up to accept Mamoru's kiss.

Mamoru backed off when he saw Nastumi reach her arms over his back.

Glaring at an annoyed Nastumi, he retorted, "You're _not_ supposed to do that! Snow White is supposed to be sleeping! You _can't_ move!"

_Drat!_ Nastumi glared harder at Mamoru.

"I'm sorry! Why don't we try it one more time?" she beamed at him.

"Don't you think that's enough?" Rei retorted.

"Let's practice a different scene next." Makoto suggested.

"Are you kidding? This is a very important scene!" Nastumi insisted. "We need to make sure this scene is perfect. Everyone, please don't be selfish!"

"What? Who's being selfish here?" Makoto retorted.

_No kidding!_ Usagi agreed.

* * *

Nighttime...

"Bye, everyone!" the girls waved farewell to Naru and Umino.

"Bye, everyone. See you!" Mamoru was the next to leave.

"Okay, bye!" the girls waved farewell.

"Mamoru, let's go home together." Nastumi offered. "Since we're playing lovers, I think we should get to know each other much, much better."

"What's the deal with her?" Rei asked, after a fuming Usagi tore her twisted handkerchief into two. "Our play will be ruined if she keeps acting like that!"

"I want to ask that selfish Nastumi to give up the role of Snow White." Makoto noted.

"That's right. She got the Snow White role dishonestly anyway." Minako agreed.

"What do you mean by that?" Usagi demanded.

"What?" Minako sweatdropped.

"Hey, what do you mean by 'dishonestly'? Hey, hey! Hey!" Usagi pressed.

"It's not nice to leave me out and talk behind my back." she sobbed.

"Stop it! We'll tell you!" Rei stopped her wails.

"What we are saying is that Ginga-san cheated." Ami explained. "Basically, all the twisted paper strings had colored tips and she tore off the tip of the last one to make it white."

"That's not fair! If you knew, why didn't anyone say anything?" Usagi inquired.

"Because, no matter which one of us plays Snow White, it would make us uncomfortable." Minako replied.

"And Nastumi hasn't had any close friends since she moved here," Ami added. "She was always alone and looked so lonely. That's why."

"She wanted to play Snow White, even if it meant cheating." Rei interjected. "That passion impressed me a little, too."

"Everyone is so sweet, but do you really think that's true friendship?" Usagi inquired.

"I don't think so! Cheating is cheating!" she fumed. "We should never allow her to cheat. If you let her..."

"Anyway!" Rei cut in. "Let's talk to Nastumi.."

"Okay." the three Planetary Senshi nodded.

"Yeah!" Usagi agreed.

* * *

On the way back...

"Usagi, are you sure you can do this by yourself?" Rei asked.

"Don't worry! I'll talk to her tomorrow at school!" Usagi assured her.

"Oh, that's Nastumi!" she noted, seeing Nastumi walking up the Hikawa Shrine stairs.

"What could she be doing at Hikawa Shrine?" Ami wondered.

* * *

In front of the prayer hall...

"Please, please make this play a success!" Nastumi prayed after ringing the bell.

_May I be able to steal a kiss from Mamoru's lips._ She added mentally.

"Nastumi is so serious." Rei muttered, as the girls peeped form behind some bushes. "I didn't know she was so passionate about the play."

"She's selfish, but all actresses are selfish in their own way." Minako noted after Nastumi walked off. "And they say a selfish actress is usually a good actor."

"I guess we'll just let her play Snow White." Makoto suggested.

"For both Nastumi's and ours, let's work together to make this play a success!" Ami added.

"I won't allow her to kiss Mamoru, but I guess I have no choice." Usagi agreed reluctantly.

"What? Did you say something?" the girls chorused.

"Oh, nothing!" Usagi replied.

* * *

The next day..

"Poor lovely Snow White ate the poisoned apple.." the dwarves, now dressed in animal costumes, sang.

"She ate it, all right!" Usagi, playing the evil queen, retorted.

"And fell into an eternal slumber." the dwarves continued to sing.

"Heh, heh, heh!" the evil queen laughed.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Rei retorted, removing the bear's head. "This isn't a kindergarten play. Why do we have to dress up like this?"

"She's right! Why am I a gorilla?" Makoto fumed, removing the gorilla's head.

"But everybody said it won't be fun if it's the same old play." Umino protested, removing the pink elephant head. "That's why I rented these adorable animal costumes!"

"How is this adorable?" the two hotheaded girls sank their costume heads onto Umino.

"But they look good on you." Nastumi pointed out. "Tsukino-san, you're a perfect witch!"

"Okay, everyone. let's continue with our practice." she chided.

_I want to wear a costume like that._ Usagi bemoaned. _And do a love scene with the prince, too!_

* * *

Later in the Juuban Odysseus...

"Oh, Princess... please accept..." Ann swooned. "My love on your lovely lips and wake... from your eternal sleep."

"What are you doing, Ann?" Ali asked, seeing his companion kiss the pillow.

"Oh, just practicing for the play!" Ann replied.

Ali then looked over at the script, envisioning himself and Ami as the lead roles.

"Ali? Ali!" Ann shouted to snap the blushing Ali out of his musings.

"So, your play will be tomorrow. Good luck." Ali told her.

_I wish I could have played the prince._ He thought after the door slid close.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is fairest of them all?" Usagi rehearsed her lines in front of her wardrobe mirror. "What? I'm only second? Snow White is the fairest? This cannot be!"

"Yo! Ham actress!" Shingo poked his head in.

"How dare you?" Usagi fumed.

"I'm spending my precious time to see you play tomorrow," Shingo informed her. "So, make sure your performance is a bit better than that."

"No one asked you to go!" Usagi shouted after Shingo closed the door.

* * *

The next day...

"Wow! There are so many people!" Usagi, now dressed as the evil queen, gasped when she peered out of the curtain.

"Now, I'm getting nervous!" Rei admitted.

"It's the first cue." Thomas remarked after the buzzer sounded. "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" the girls chorused.

_And we'll finally start on the second cue._ Nastumi smiled. _Today, I'll make sure to kiss Mamoru._

The applause sounded when the curtain was raised and Bipierrot appeared in the spotlight.

"Bipierrot!" the Cardian declared.

"What's that?" Usagi blinked.

"A clown in the play?" Makoto, in the gorilla costume, sweatdropped.

"No one told us that!" Naru, in the cat costume, and Minako in the purple bear costume, sweatdropped.

"I wonder if someone changed the script?" Ami inquired.

"Bipierrot!" the Cardian spun on its unicycle.

"Bipierrot!" it then leapt down from the castle prop.

"Bipierrot! Bipierrot! Bipierrot! Bipierrot! Bipierrot!" it declared, demolishing the props.

"Amazing! They're wrecking the stage at the very beginning!" Shingo awed.

"Stop! Don't destroy the stage!" Nastumi pleaded, running towards the Cardian.

"Bipierrot!' the Cardian tossed a red ball at her.

"Nastumi!" Mamoru gasped when the sphere threw Nastumi backwards.

"Mamoru, you tried to protect me!" Nastumi gushed when Mamoru shielded her fall with his body. Before she proceeded to kiss him, the ball knocked her unconscious.

"Nastumi! Mamoru!" the girls exclaimed at the fallen actors.

"Bipi..." the Cardian turned its attention to the girls backstage.

"It's a real monster!" Umino realized. "Naru, run!"

Tripping over the large elephant's feet, Umino only succeeded in throwing Naru at the girls.

"Mako, you're heavy!" Minako protested once Naru landed on the pile.

"Get off me!" Rei demanded.

"You get off me first!" Makoto shot back.

"Calm down! One person at a time!" Ami played peacemaker.

"It hurts!" Naru moaned.

"Naru, hang on!" Ami urged.

"Bipierrot!" the Cardian now twirled its umbrella at the audience and draining them of their energy.

"We're in trouble!" Ami shouted over the chaos.

"We have to do something quick!" Minako remarked.

"Get off me!' Rei demanded as Usagi stood up.

"You messed up or play! I can't forgive you!" Usagi retorted. "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Oh, the long months and years of practice!" Sailor Moon declared.

"Bipi?" the Cardian looked at the Senshi behind him.

"At last, we stand in all our brilliance upon the stage!" Sailor Moon added. "This is the fruit of our labor and friendship! And you had to come and mess it all up! I'm a Sailor Senshi of love and justice. In the name of the moon, Sailor Moon will punish you!"

"Bipierrot!" the Cardian wrapped its umbrella's whip around the Moon Senshi.

"Bi, bi, bi, bi, bi, bi, bi, bi!" it then sent electricity through the whip, electrocuting Sailor Moon.

Just then, a white rose severed the whip, freeing Sailor Moon.

"Bipi?" the Cardian looked at the intruder.

"I do not know who you are. But all the girls know who I am." the Moonlight Knight declared. "I am the Moonlight Knight and I am here!"

"Moonlight Knight-sama!" Sailor Moon gushed.

"What's going on? So this is a Sailor Moon play, and not Snow White?" Shingo inquired.

"Who is that?" the audience chorused when the rest of the Senshi appeared.

"Passionate like the fire!" Sailor Mars declared. "Rin, Pyo, Tou, Sha!" I defeat evil with the power of prayer! In red high heels, I'm Sailor Mars!"

"I was born this this strength!" Sailor Jupiter added. "I am Sailor Jupiter with lightning power!"

"Juggling between cram-school and homework," Millennial Sailor Mercury continued. "I am always reading study guides! Top scorer in the nationwide, everything goes mock exams! As you know, I am Millennial Sailor Mercury!"

"The legendary mask is a thing of the past." Sailor Venus wrapped up the introductions. "And the face revealed is also beautiful! I am the last addition to the Sailor Senshi, Sailor Venus!"

"We've arrived!" the four girls chorused.

"Bipierrot!" the Cardian now turned to its new opponents, firing its head spikes at them. The girls jumped to dodge the attack.

"My red high heels are mad like fire!" Sailor Mars retorted, pulling out her anti-evil scroll. "Rin, Pyo, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!"

"Here's my talisman!" she declared, tossing the scroll.

"Bipi?" the Cardian blinked when the scroll was attached to its forehead.

"I sacrificed precious studying times to memorize my lines!" Millennial Sailor Mercury declared. "Give me back the time to read three study guides!"

"Ice Blast!" she fired her ice ball at the frozen Cardian, encasing it in ice.

"Ruining the play is unforgivable!" Sailor Moon announced, revealing her weapon. "Moon Princess Elimination!"

"Cleansing!" the Cardian cried as the attack washed over it. Returning to its card form, the card then turned black.

"It's great! This is the best play ever!" Shingo whooped, as the audience applauded.

"Now, this is a happy ending." the Moonlight Knight remarked. "A girl's face in the spotlight is beautiful."

"Adieu." he then bade the Senshi farewell and disappeared.

"Oh, Moonlight Knight-sama!" Sailor Moon gasped when the Moonlight Knight vanished from sight.

"Encore! Encore! Encore!" the audience cheered once the curtain closed.

"We did it!" the Senshi smiled at each other as 'Encore! Encore' sounded from the audience.

* * *

After the play...

"You are so mean! How could you, Ali?" Ann demanded. "I practiced so hard, and you sent a Cardian!"

"Be quiet! Did you forget our mission to collect lots of energy?" Ali reminded her.

Ann threw herself onto the bed and cried after the door slid close.

"I wanted to steal Mamoru's kiss of love!" she sobbed.

_I wish I could have played the prince._ Ali pondered outside the door.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	17. ARC 2: Usagi is a Target

SailorStar9: Chapter 15 goes up. This is Chapter 16.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 16: Be Careful After School! Usagi is a Target

* * *

Time passes...

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Luna shouted.

"Moon Princess Elimination!" Sailor Moon released her attack.

"Cleansing!" the Cardian screamed as the attack washed over it. Returning to its card form, the card turned black as usual.

"Damn you! Sailor Senshi!" Ali growled.

"Just you remember this!" Ann promised, the twins disappearing.

* * *

"I'm gonna be late!" Usagi exclaimed in horror, the three Juuban Junior High students dashing towards school.

"I am going to be late!' Ami added. "And I have never been late in all my fourteen years of life!"

"Unless we run faster, we'll be in trouble!" Makoto noted.

"Oh wait!" Usagi cowled, the two girls running ahead as the school bell rang.

"Tsukino-san? Tsukino-san? Is she late again?" Ms. Haruna inquired.

"Here!" Usagi burst in from the back door, stepping into an empty bucket in the process and knocking into the cardboard at the back of the class.

"Tsukino Usagi is here!" she reported.

Even when I try this hard, she'll still mark me for tardiness!" she wept when Ms Haruna appeared behind her.

"Tsukino Usagi, it's nice that you are always so energetic," Ms Haruna told her. "But please be a little more quiet when you enter the classroom."

"Yes madam." Usagi was astonished when Ms Haruna did not blow her top.

"Then I will continue to take attendance." Ms Haruna remarked.

_What's going on? She's in an awfully good mood today._ Usagi wondered.

* * *

Later in the teacher's room...

"Sakurada-sensei, you have a phone call." one of the teachers informed her.

"Oh, thank you." Ms Haruna took the phone. "Hello, this is Sakurada. Oh, Kouichi! If you're talking about today's date, everything is fine. I will be there as soon as school is over..."

"You have urgent business and have to cancel. Oh, okay..." she paled when her date told her the unfortunate news. "Oh, don't worry. I'm fine. Okay then, I will talk to you later."

With that, she slammed the receiver down.

* * *

Meanwhile in class...

_Oh, I'm hungry._ Usagi whined.

_Oh, I need energy._ Nastumi sighed.

"How long will you keep up this noise? Get back to your seats!" Ms Haruna barked.

Everybody sweatdropped and obeyed.

"Once upon a time, there was a pretty girl on the moon." Ms Haruna begun the English class.

"Now,, let's have someone translate this for us. Tsukino-san!" she ordered.

"Uh-oh!" Usagi panicked and Ms Haruna tapped her pointer on the book, revealing Usagi eating her lunch box in class.

"You have some nerve, eating lunch in my class, Tsukino-san." Ms Haruna remarked.

"Oh no! it's not what you think!" Usagi defended.

"Stay late after school!" Ms Haruna ordered.

"No way!" Usagi sighed.

"How about you, Nastumi Ginga-san?" Ms Haruna turned to her next victim.

"Yes madam." Nastumi let out an exhausted breath. "Hali le la sa su lela..."

"What are you saying?" Ms Haruna fumed after a dramatic pause.

"You asked me to translate it," Nastumi pointed out. "So I translated it into our planet's language."

"Quit joking around!" Ms Haruna slammed her hands on the desk. "You will also stay after school!"

"Yes madam." Nastumi replied.

* * *

After school on the roof top...

"So? I assume she didn't find out who you are." Seijuro inquired after Nastumi told him what happened in class.

"No, I don't think we need to worry about that." Nastumi replied.

"This could happen again. You have to be very careful." Seijuro advised.

"I understand." Nastumi replied.

"I have no choice." Seijuro concluded. "I will carry out the new plan to steal more energy for myself."

"This is all those Sailor Senshi's fault!" Nastumi fumed.

"That's right." Seijuro agreed. "This time, make sure to pick a Cardian stronger than them!"

"Okay." Nastumi picked out a card from the card fan.

"Nastumi-san! Nastumi-san!" Usagi called out. "Oh, there you are!"

"Haruna says detention starts now." she informed her.

"Oh, but I..." Nastumi barely made out a protest when Usagi dragged her off.

"If we don't hurry up, she'll give us even more homework!" Usagi added, the two girls running off.

"Okay, okay! Please don't pull me so hard." Nastumi pleaded.

* * *

In the nearby park...

The rest of the group were meeting by the fountain.

"That's right! Usagi has to stay late and study." Minako remarked.

"She has no motivation whatsoever!" Rei retorted.

"But we had a busy morning to start with." Makoto pointed out.

"In a way, I do feel sorry for her." Luna admitted.

"And Ami's at cram school." Artemis added. "I guess we have to cancel todays' meeting."

"Then, why don't we go and see a movie together?" Minako suggested.

"Good idea!" Makoto agreed.

"There's a good one playing right now!" Rei added.

"No! You're not allowed to see a movie on your way home!" Luna objected.

"Don't worry!, it's not a big deal." Minako replied, clucking the two cats into her sports bag. "Okay, let's go!"

* * *

Meanwhile in detention...

"I will not let you go home until you finish those questions." Ms Haruna informed the two girls. "Don't worry, I will be here with you. We have plenty of time."

"Ms Sakurada, you have a phone call." the principal informed her.

"What? Oh, really?" Ms Haruna blinked. "You two keep on studying."

* * *

In the teacher's room...

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Ms Haruna spoke over the phone. "Oh Kouichi! No, I'm not mad at all! What? Right now? Of course, I can! Okay, I understand. I will be there right away!"

Putting down the phone, she started reapplying her makeup, "Oh, he made me worry so much this morning."

* * *

Back in the classroom...

"Haruna's still not back." Usagi noted. "Okay, I don't have time for this!"

"I'll go home early and catch Mamoru on his way home!" she beamed, packing her bag.

"Tsukino-san?" Nastumi looked at her.

"Huh? What?" Usagi turned back.

"You still haven't given up on Mamoru?" Nastumi asked.

"There is no way I would ever give up!" Usagi retorted as she held out her pinky finger. "Mamoru and I are linked by the red string of fate!"

"You can't do something like that!" she protested when Nastumi cut off the imaginary string.

"You're such a stubborn girl!" Nastumi shot back. "Okay, then we'll play a game!"

"A game?" Usagi echoed.

"Yes, let's see who can finish these questions first." Nastumi posted her challenge. "And the one who loses will give up on Mamoru. What do you think?"

"Okay." Usagi agreed.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Ali had appeared on top of a skyscraper. Drawing a card, he played his flute to summon the Cardian.

"Come forth, Cardian Amanju!" he instructed.

"Aman!" the Cardian declared after it materialized.

"Now, Amanju, steal energy from everyone in town!" Ali instructed.

_Chiba Mamoru?_ He frowned at the reincarnated Earth Prince who was heading somewhere with a banquet of flowers. _If I could just get rid of him, Ami-san would be mine._

"Amanju! Steal that man's energy first!" he turned to the Cardian. "Go ahead, steal as much energy as you can and kill him!"

"Aman!" the Cardian declared. Using Ali's head as a stepping stone, it leapt off.

"Wait!" Ali called out to the runaway Cardian. "You're ignoring my orders! Where are you going?"

* * *

In school...

_Now, I have to tackle this seriously._ Nastumi decided. _I don't have enough energy. I'm getting dizzy. If I had enough energy, these questions would be a piece of cake. And I could make her give up... what am I thinking? The energy is right here._

"Man! I don't get this!" Usagi complained.

_On top of that, if I steal all her energy and kill her, Mamoru will be mine._ Nastumi grinned as she turned back to her alien form. _I can kill two birds with one stone._

* * *

In Ami's cram school...

"What's that?" the front row students stammered when the Cardian burst into the classroom through the wall.

"A Cardian?" Ami blinked.

"Aman!" the Cardian roared. Grabbing the two students in front of it by its hands, it proceeded to drain them of their energy.

"Aman!" the Cardian then burst out of the window.

"What was that?" one of the surviving students inquired.

"This is Ami! A Cardian has shown up!" Ami informed the girls through the inert communicator in her compact computer.

* * *

At the movies...

"Are you sure, Ami?" Minako whispered.

"Where?" Makoto asked, through Minako's communicator.

"At my cram school. But it already left, heading northwest!" Ami reported.

"I got it, let's meet somewhere right away!" Minako suggested.

"Come on, let's go, Rei!" Makoto told the fire Senshi.

"What? It's getting interesting." Rei complained.

"Hey, it's time to go to work!" Luna reminded her.

"Okay, I got it." Rei pouted as she took off with Makoto.

"Oh, Allan..." Minako gushed when the male actor appeared on screen.

"Minako, you hurry, too!" Artemis urged.

* * *

In school...

Ann was about to reach out to take Usagi's energy when the blond whined.

"Oh, I don't get it!" Usagi complained.

Startled for a second, Ann then approached her victim when Usagi dropped her eraser, causing the alien girl to miss her target and fall over the desk when Usagi bent over to pick it up.

"What are you doing, Nastumi?" Usagi asked.

"Oh!" Nastumi gaped, having returned to her 'human' form. "I'm just exercising for a change! One, two..."

* * *

Elsewhere...

"Aman!" the Cardian had leapt into the park.

"Wait, Amanju! Your target is..." Ali chided, appearing before the Cardian which had landed on the monkey bars.

"Aman!" the Cardian leapt away into the bushes.

"What in the world is going on?" Ali wondered outloud. "It's impossible for a Cardian to ignore my orders."

* * *

In school...

_I will never give up._ Ann swore, reaching over to drain Usagi of her energy again.

Just then, Usagi yawned, unintentionally poking the end of her pencil into Ann's nose.

"Ouch!" Ann whined, clutching her nose in pan.

"Oh, sorry!" Usagi turned back to look at Nastumi who had returned to her 'human' form. "It's your own fault. Because you snuck up on me and stood there."

_Ah, I'm so unlucky today._ Nastumi pondered.

"I wonder what happened to Haruna." Usagi noted.

* * *

Elsewhere...

"I fee like I'm forgetting something. I wonder what it could be?" Ms Haruna mused as she walked in the park with her date. "Well, it's okay right? it's probably not anything important."

"Aman!" the Cardian roared, appearing behind the pair.

Ms Haruna barely made out a scream before both her and her date's energy were taken.

"Okay, I don't care from whom anymore. Just steal energy from humans!" Ali concluded. "Got that, Amanju?"

"Aman!" the Cardian declared and jumped into the pond, scaring the ducks.

"What are you doing? I don't need bird energy!" Ali fumed when the Cardian started draining the ducks of their energy. "Humans! From humans!"

"That's enough!" Sailor Venus declared. "Not satisfied with just sneak attacks at morning and at night?"

"Not just once, but twice! You have some nerve!" Sailor Mars retorted.

"You won't get away with ruining the birds' peaceful day!" Sailor Jupiter added.

"We will bring you to justice!" Millennial Sailor Mercury announced,

"In the name of Sailor Moon, we will punish you!" the four chorused.

"So, you're here, Sailor Senshi." Ali laughed. "But it won't be so easy this time! Get them, Amanju!"

"Aman!" the Cardian declared, using Ali's head as a stepping stone again before it leapt off.

_Shoot! It did it again!_ Ali hissed.

"Oh, it ran away!" Millennial Sailor Mercury noted.

"Does it mean we won?" Sailor Venus inquired.

* * *

In school...

"One more question and I'll be finished!" Usagi beamed. "How about you? Nastumi, are you almost finished?"

"Yes, well, I think I'll manage to finish it." Nastumi replied tiredly.

"Okay! I'm not going to lose though!" Usagi told her.

_Tsukino Usagi, she's certainly worthy of being my mortal enemy._ Nastumi thought. _It's impressive that she hasn't lowered her guard against me._

"Nastumi, are you okay? You look pale." Usagi remarked. "And you haven't solved any problems at all."

"Oh, nothing to worry about. I'm just a little tired." Nastumi assured her.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Usagi offered. "Well, I know I'm going to win. So, I;m willing to help you in any way I can!"

_This sounds similar to that Earth fable I've heard before._ Nastumi mused. _About a hare and a tortoise racing. If I recall, that story had a similar turn of events_

"Is something wrong?" Usagi asked.

"Well, maybe I should ask for your help." Nastumi decided.

"Okay. But you can't ask me something like, 'give up Mamoru' or 'solve these problems'." Usagi pointed out.

"It's nothing like this." Nastumi told her. "Instead, would you just close your eyes for ten seconds and stay still?"

"Oh, that's easy!" Usagi beamed. "For just ten seconds? All right."

"Thank you." Nastumi replied after Usagi sat down on an empty chair and shut her eyes.

_Tsukino-san, please sleep eternally._ Ann grinned, returning to her alien form. Resting a finger on Usagi's throat, she proceeded to draw the blond's energy.

"I feel sort of weird." Usagi remarked.

"Aman!" the Cardian then burst in.

"Gag! What is that?" Usagi blinked when the Cardian jumped Nastumi.

"Aman!" the Cardian then leapt out of the window.

_That was a Cardian?_ Usagi blinked as she looked out of the window,

"Ali..." Nastumi whispered when the alien appeared beside her.

_The Cardian is not following my orders! _Ali told her telepathically.

_That's impossible._ Ann sent back.

_Then, come with me!_ Ali instructed and the two disappeared.

"You can't get away from us now!" Sailor Mars declared, the four Senshi having cornered the Cardian.

"Fire Soul!" she fired her fireball.

"Supreme Thunder!" Sailor Jupiter released her attack after the Cardian dodged the flam attack.

"Crescent Beam Shower!" Sailor Venus unleashed her attack once the thunder attack hit the Cardian's leg.

"Ice Blast!" Millennial Sailor Mercury released her ice ball, freezing the Cardian in place.

"Aman!" the Cardian roared, breaking free of its icy prison and attacked the girls.

"It's so powerful! Unless we do something, they'll all be killed." Luna gasped. "Oh, that's Usagi. I'll go get her!"

"Okay." Artemis nodded as Luna leapt into the school.

"Is the Cardian finally following my orders?" Ali wondered as the two aliens appeared on the rooftop.

"There's absolutely no way that a Cardian would ignore our orders." Ann pointed out.

"But it was!" Ali insisted.

"Go for it, everyone!" Usagi cheered.

"Why don't you stop cheering and transform too?" Luna chided.

"Luna!" Usagi looked at the cat. "Oh, where's Nastumi?"

"I don't know. Now, hurry!" Luna urged.

"Leave it to me!" Usagi decided. "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

:Sorry for making you wait, everyone!" Sailor Moon declared, jumping in.

"You're late!" Sailor Mars scolded.

"Calm down, Rei! I'll finish it off, so forgive me, okay?" Sailor Moon soothed.

"Aman!" the Cardian growled.

"Oh, something's wrong. I don't have nay power." Sailor Moon wobbled on her feet.

"What's wrong ,Sailor Moon?" Luna asked.

"I wonder if I studied too much?" Sailor Mon mused, causing Sailors Mercury and Mars to sweatdrop.

"Aman!" the Cardian roared, reaching over to grab Sailor Moon's neck.

Just then, a white rose came in, cutting the Cardian's arm

"An evil creature belongs to an evil world." the Moonlight Knight declared. "leave this beautiful moonlight at once!"

"Moonlight Knight-sama!" the girls exclaimed as Sailor Moon swooned.

"Come! Now this the time, Sailor Moon." the Moonlight Knight told the Moon Senshi,

"Gravity Hold!" Dragon Solaris' energy cage held the Cardian in place.

"Sailor Moon, now!" the Sun Dragon shouted.

"Yes!" Sailor Moon nodded. "Moon Princess Elimination!"

"Cleansing!" the Cardian yelled as the attacked washed over it. Returning to its card form, the card turned black as before.

"We did it!" the girls beamed.

"Even a crescent moon is no match for beautiful Senshi." the Moonlight Knight remarked. "Adieu!"

"Now, I have to get back to the classroom." Sailor Moon commented after the Moonlight Knight disappeared. "Otherwise Nastumi will suspect something."

"All of a sudden, she's fine now." Sailor Jupiter noted.

"I didn't think anyone could recover so quickly." Sailor Venus added.

"She always amazes me." Millennial Sailor Mercury remarked.

"Well, we should leave now." Sailor Mars suggested.

"Yes." the rest of the Senshi agreed.

"We screwed up again." Ann cursed.

"Damn! Sailor Senshi!" Ali hissed.

"Well, I will be going back to the classroom." Ann informed her partner. "Otherwise Tsukino-san will suspect something. Then..."

Not waiting for Ali's answer, she disappeared.

"Something's going on. Is something going to happen?" Ali wondered. "Or is it already happening?"

* * *

In the classroom...

"I did it! I finished!" Usagi whooped.

"Really?" Nastumi inquired.

"Oh? Nastumi, when did you..." Usagi turned back.

"I just finished, too." Nastumi showed her the completed paper. "Once I started working seriously, this was nothing."

"Come on, Usagi, let's go home." Makoto remarked, appearing at the door with Ami.

"I know you worked hard!" Ami added.

"Oh, thanks!" Usagi smiled. "Well, Nastumi, I think we're even this time!"

"I guess so." Nastumi replied. "let's just say that the final showdown will be up to Mamoru."

"All right! I'll never lose!" Usagi decided. "Bye!"

_Me, either._ Nastumi frowned determinedly after Usagi left.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	18. ARC 2: The Angry Makaiju

SailorStar9: Chapter 16 goes up. This is Chapter 17.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 17: The Lovers' Hearts Disagree! The Angry Makaiju

* * *

Time passes...

"Finally, a day off." Ami smiled in relief.

_I'm going to captivate Ami-san' s heart today._ Seijuro promised, seeing the lone girl.

* * *

In a bookstore somewhere...

_I'm going to win Mamoru's heart today no matter what! _Nastumi swore, peering at Mamoru behind a book.

"Oh, Mamoru, is that you?" she beamed at the approaching Mamoru.

"Nastumi!" Mamoru blinked.

"Wow, what a coincidence running into you here!" Nastumi gushed.

"Oh, hey." Mamoru chided at the girl hanging on his arm.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"I never expected to run into you here." Seijuro remarked at an outdoor cafe.

"Me either." Ami replied.

"There are so many people here." Seijuro noted. "And we happened to chance upon each other. It must be a miracle."

"That's right." Ami agreed.

"Hey, can you leave my arm alone?" Mamoru chided.

"Mamoru, I didn't think you were so modest." Nastumi giggled.

"Mamoru!" Ami blinked.

"Nastumi!" Seijuro growled.

"Oh, Mizuno-san." Mamoru looked at the girl genius.

"Seijuro, I didn't know you had a date with Mizuno-san." Nastumi added. "I thought you were going to the library today!"

"You said you were going to study at a friend's house!" Seijuro accused.

* * *

Later on the way back to Juuban Odysseus...

"Wait, Nastumi! Is he so attractive to you?" Seijuro pressed.

"How about you, Ali?" Nastumi accused.

* * *

Inside the Makaiju's room...

"Why is this suddenly... " Ann gasped at the wilting tree.

"This can't be happening." Ali protested.

"It's because you're chasing Mizuno-san all the time." Ann accused.

"You're in no position to criticize me!" Ali retorted.

"If the Makaiju dies, we won't be able to get more energy." Ann sighed.

"It seems the only solution is to give it more energy." Ali concluded. "A lot more energy."

* * *

The next day...

"A Sailor Moon show!" Usagi chuckled when the mall advertised an on-going Sailor Moon show. "I'm such a celebrity now!"

"It's probably just a comedy show anyway." Luna remarked.

"Luna!" Usagi growled.

"I'm a Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Moon." the puppeteer repeated Sailor Moon's trademark lines. "In the name of the moon."

"I will punish you!" the children chorused.

"Sailor Moon has become so famous now!" Umino noted.

"I know. I never thought she'd become so famous." Naru agreed. "We can be so proud of her!"

"Yes." Umino replied.

"Yamandakka!" the new Cardian declared, the skies grew overcast as it hovered over the sky.

"Something weird has showed up." Umino noted.

"Yamandakka!" the Cardian announced, changing its faces.

"What is that?" the children chorused.

"Yamandakka!" the Cardian unleashed a shower of lotus petals at the audience.

"Yamandakka, yamandakka, yamandakka, yamandakka, yamandakka!" it chanted, the petals draining the audience of their energy once they landed on the people's bodies. After collecting the energy, it disappeared.

"What? What is this?" Usagi gasped, arriving on scene.

"Her energy has been stolen!" Luna reported. "And unlike before, almost all of her energy has been taken!"

"Oh, they got Naru again!" Usagi turned to her unconscious friend.

* * *

Back in the Juuban Odyssey...

"Yamandakka, yamandakka, yamandakka!" the Cardian chanted as it transferred the collected energy to the Makaiju.

"Something is wrong. it's not reacting." Ali noted. "Something is obviously different from before. I hope it's not..."

"What?" Ann gasped.

"I'm starting to wonder, maybe the Makaiju is not suited for Earth." Ali concluded.

"It can't be!" Ann protested.

"What should we do now?" Ali inquired.

"Yamandakka." the Cardian shrugged in response.

* * *

The next day...

"Umino, Osaka-san and Ginga-san are absent today?" Ms Haruna asked.

"Her brother, Seijuro Ginga, is apparently also absent." Usagi offered.

"Oh, how do you know, Tsukino-san?" Ms Haruna asked.

"Well, I have this information network." Usagi laughed nervously.

* * *

After school...

"Why do we have to go see them with you?" Makoto complained.

"Calm down. it's one of those social things, you know?" Usagi soothed.

"By the way, are Naru and Umino okay?" Ami asked.

"Yeah, but they had so much of their energy taken this time, that it looks like it'll take a while for them to recover." Usagi replied.

"The enemy seems to be behaving differently than before." Ami remarked.

"Do you think so?" Usagi asked, the three looking up at the apartment.

* * *

Upon ringing the doorbell...

"Hello!" Usagi called over the intercom.

"Oh! Ami-san! Glad to see you!" Seijuro beamed as the visitors as Nastumi coughed behind him.

"Oh, matching outfits! That's weird for a brother and sister!" Usagi noted.

"It's true. You look like lovers." Makoto agreed.

"Really?" Seijuro laughed. "We lost our parents when we were young, so maybe our bond is stronger than normal siblings."

"I didn't know that." Usagi remarked.

"So what brings you here?" Nastumi asked. "It's impolite to just drop by."

"How can you say that?" Makoto demanded. "Usagi was worried about you guys!"

"Mako!" Ami chided.

"But, you know?" Makoto continued her tirade. "Usagi, doesn't it make you mad?"

Usagi nodded.

"Since you are here, why not come inside and have something to drink?" Seijuro offered.

"Seijuro!" Nastumi scolded.

"Please, come in!" Seijuro ignored her.

* * *

Inside the apartment...

_What is this feeling?_ Seijuro wondered as he prepared the coffee.

"Why didn't you do to school?" Usagi asked.

"Why? Does it matter?" Nastumi asked back.

"It does matter. Because everyone was worried about you." Usagi replied.

"Worried? Why's that?" Nastumi inquired.

"Why? Usagi echoed. "Because we're friends! 'Did she get hurt?' or 'Is she suffering from a cold?' You know, that kind of stuff!"

"That's right!" Makoto agreed.

"If you don't come to school, you will be behind your studies, too." Ami added.

"I don't get it." Nastumi replied. "Anyway, no matter what happens to me, it has nothing to do with you guys."

"That's enough! Let's go home!" Makoto fumed.

"Hey, is this your study room?" Usagi asked in front of the room where the Makaiju was kept. "Oh, it has an automatic door!"

"You can't!" Seijuro stopped her as the door slid open.

"It's really messy." he remarked, shutting the door. "It's not a place we can show you!"

"Then, you should ask Mako for help!" Usagi replied. "She really great at cleaning! Right, Mako?"

"That's not necessary!" Nastumi retorted. "Anyway, you're annoying us, so please go home!"

"Go on, go on!" she pressed.

"Usagi, let's go home! Come on, hurry!" Makoto told the blond, knowing that they had outstayed their welcome.

"Then, see you!" Usagi replied.

"How about a drink?" Seijuro called out at the departing trio.

"Maybe next time." Usagi answered for the other two.

"Ali, isn't that sweet?" Nastumi mocked as Seijuro looked at the departing girls from the balcony. "Seeing them off like that."

"Ann, don't you feel something nice and warm inside?" Seijuro posted a question.

"What are you talking about?" Nastumi asked.

"I don't know. I've never felt this way before." Seijuro admitted.

* * *

The next morning...

"Oh, Usagi! Wake up, Usagi!" Luna awoke to the sound of the chicken alarm clock.

"Oh my, what's going on?" she blinked at the empty bed.

* * *

Outside the Ginga household...

"So, let's go!" Usagi greeted Nastumi who had opened the door.

"You're such a nuisance, showing up so early in the morning." Nastumi chided.

"I can understand wanting to goof off, but anyway, let's go!" Usagi waved the insult aside.

"Oh, Usagi-san! Did you come to see us again?" Seijuro smiled at his visitor.

"Oh, I just came to pick up Nastumi." Usagi replied.

"Seijuro, don't you think she's annoying?" Nastumi scolded.

"Since you went to the trouble of coming here, why don't you have some cake and meat buns?" Seijuro invited the blond in.

"Oh, thank you!" Usagi beamed.

"Seijuro..." Nastumi sighed.

"Why did you say something like that?" she hissed as Seijuro prepared the coffee.

"I don't understand it either. I just sort of felt like it." Seijuro replied.

"You've been acting weird these days." Nastumi pointed out.

_When you are told, 'Don't look', it makes you want to see even more._ Usagi wondered.

"Oh, Usagi! You're such a bad girl!" the blond chided herself.

"It's pitch black." she blinked, succumbing to temptation and entered the forbidden room.

"It's so bright." she shielded her eyes from the sudden burst of light.

Then, she screamed when the Makaiju's roots grabbed her and tried to pull her in. Seijuro reacted and shut the door.

"Usagi-san, are you all right?" he asked the panting blond.

"What is this room?" Usagi wailed.

"Oh, I'm experimenting with something right now." Seijuro explained.

"What kind of experiment?" Usagi asked.

"Well, let's just say it has something to do with cosmic botany." Seijuro replied.

"Really? I didn't know." Usagi awed.

"Tsukino-san!" Nastumi scolded. "It's rude to peep into someone's room without permission!"

"I'm sorry." Usagi apologized.

"Anyway, I'm not going to school today." Nastumi informed her. "So would you mind leaving?"

"Okay." Usagi nodded dejectedly.

Walking out of the apartment, she turned and waved farewell to Seijuro who returned the wave.

"Make sure you both come to school tomorrow!" Usagi shouted.

_I felt something warm inside again._ Seijuro gaped mentally. _What is this?_

* * *

Later...

"What do you think, Ali?" Nastumi asked, the two standing before the Makaiju.

"Maybe the energy we fed it is finally starting to work." Seijuro replied, noticing the newly sprouted leaf.

"But there wasn't any change until just now." Nastumi pointed out.

"Until just now?" Seijuro echoed.

"Until Tsukino-san came here." Nastumi elaborated. "I think it has something to do with Tsukino-san's energy."

"It can't be!" Seijuro gasped.

"If we could squeeze out every drop of Tsukino-san's energy, the Makaiju might be revived." Nastumi smirked.

"Wait!" Seijuro stopped her.

"Do you object?" Nastumi challenged.

"I didn't mean it like that." Seijuro replied. "But there's something I want to try."

"What?" Nastumi gasped.

"Yamandakka!" Seijuro turned to the Cardian.

"Dakka!" the Cardian appeared before the new spourt.

"Give energy to this new spourt." Seijuro instructed.

"Yamandakka!" the Cardian replied and started feeding the spourt.

"What are you trying to do?" Nastumi inquired.

"If I could spourt this bud, the Makaiju could go back to its old vivid green self." Seijuro explained.

"I wonder if it'll be that easy." Nastumi mocked.

"Yamandakka." the Cardian sighed in resignation as Seijuro gasped when the spourt wilted.

"Our precious new spourt..." Nastumi gaped.

"Just now, the Makaiju said something." she blinked when a voice echoed within the twins' minds.

"A tree can't say anything." Seijuro remarked.

"Ali, what is the Makaiju?" Nastumi posted a question.

"Why are you asking me?" Seijuro inquired. "It's the tree that our ancestors handed down to us so we could store the energy we need."

"Is that all?" Nastumi asked.

"It can distill the high quality energy that is perfect for our consumption." Seijuro explained.

"Is that all?" Nastumi pressed.

"Yeah, that's all." Seijuro replied.

* * *

In school...

"Oh? You went there again?" Makoto asked under a tree at lunchtime.

"You sure are something, Usagi." Ami noted.

"Oh, Usagi! You have something on your head." she gasped at the laughing blond.

"What?" Usagi panicked as Makoto swatted the Makaiju's branch off her head with a twig.

"What is this?" Makoto exclaimed when the branch twitched.

"It looks creepy." Ami noted, peering at the twig.

* * *

Later at the Hikawa Shrine...

"Luna, did you find you something?" Ami asked.

"We found out something troubling." Luna reported. "Artemis, it's dangerous, but why don't you try?"

"What? I don't want to..." Artemis protested.

"Artemis!" Luna insisted.

"Okay! I got it!" Artemis relented. Nervously, he reached into the glass and the Makaiju branch attached itself onto his paw. With a shake, the white cat shook the twig back into the glass container.

"So do you understand?" Luna looked at the girls.

"Not at all!" Usagi replied, causing everybody else to sweatdrop.

"So it steals energy?" Ami concluded.

"That's right." Luna agreed.

"Usagi, I can't believe you had it stuck on your head." Makoto remarked.

"After we studied this, we found out something very troubling." Artemis added.

"What?" the five girls blinked.

"Do you want to know?" Artemis asked.

"Quit beating around the bush and just tell us!" Minako insisted.

"Well, this is a twig from the Makaiju." Artemis replied.

"Makaiju?" the girls chorused.

"Hmmm, I see..." Usagi peered at the twig. "What's that?"

"It a mysterious cosmic plant that drains energy." Luna explained. "However, this is the only thing we know. No one actually knows what it is."

"I wonder what something so dangerous was at Nastumi's house?" Rei mused.

"Seijuro told me he was studying plants. That means..." Usagi trailed off.

"That means?" everyone echoed.

"He's collecting rare plants!" Usagi concluded, causing everyone else to sweatdrop.

"Why are you always so clueless?" Rei retorted.

"If there's a twig, then there's a big tree that it came from." Luna told her charge.

"No normal person collects stuff like that!" Minako noted.

"You think so?" Usagi blinked.

"Conclusion! Those two are suspicious!" Rei remarked.

"What?" Usagi turned to the fire Senshi.

"Those two might also be behind the incidents we've had recently." Artemis agreed.

"In short, Seijuro and Nastumi are Ali and Ann!" Makoto concluded.

"No way!" Usagi whined.

* * *

Later...

"Usagi, it's dangerous to act alone." Luna reminded her.

"Luna!" Usagi looked at the worried cat. "Luna, I can't believe that Seijuro and Nastumi are Ali and Ann!"

"Usagi, I know how you feel, but..." Luna trailed off.

"I want to make sure one more time that they are..." Usagi insisted.

"By yourself!?" Luna gasped when the blond dashed in.

"Maybe, next time..." Usagi stopped in her tracks.

"Somehow, she worries me." Luna sighed.

"Hey, Dumpling Head!" Mamoru blinked at the blond.

"Mamoru! Where are you going?" Usagi asked.

"There!" Mamoru pointed to the Ginga's unit.

"I heard from Blue that Nastumi is sick and hasn't been to school." he replied.

"No! she's playing hooky! Hooky!" Usagi insisted.

At Mamoru's' blink, she asked, "Anyway, why do you have to visit Nastumi?"

"She helped us a lot when we did the Snow White play, remember?" Mamoru reminded her.

"Oh, wait! There's a Makaiju in their apartment!" Usagi stopped him. "It'll take your energy!"

"'Dumb Troll'?" Mamoru mistranslated. "What are you talking about?"

"Hey!" Usagi called out.

"Hold on a second!" she ran after him.

"Oh, Usagi!" Luna gasped.

* * *

At the Ginga unit...

"What? You came to see me?" Nastumi gasped when Mamoru presented the roses to her. "But why?"

"Anyone would usually get worried if someone he knew were sick." Mamoru replied.

_What is this warm fuzzy feeling I have inside?_ Nastumi wondered.

"I think you should hurry up and leave." Usagi tapped on Mamoru's shoulder.

"Oh, you came again?" Nastumi looked at the blond girl. "Since you're here, why don't you come inside?"

"What?" Usagi blinked at her sudden change.

"Oh, Usagi-san!" Seijuro beamed at the visitors. "Please come in and have something to drink. We still have the cake and meat buns that you missed out on last time."

"Sure!" Usagi replied. _This time, I'm not going to miss those!_

_I wonder if there's a way I can just trap Tsukino-san in the room with the Makaiju?_ Nastumi wondered as Usagi devoured the food.

"Wow, you have a wonderful view." Mamoru noted, replacing his tea cup.

"If you go out on the balcony, you can see much better." Nastumi added. "Seijuro, why don't you take him outside?"

"What? Okay" Seijuro replied and the two males walked out.

_It's perfect._ Nastumi grinned.

"Tsukino-san." she begun before Usagi ate the cherry on the cake slice. "I'll show you something good."

"What?" Usagi blinked in mid-bite.

"Remember? The room you wanted to see so badly?" Nastumi reminded.

_What should I do?_ Usagi wondered. _I'm curious but I also have a bad feeling about this._

"To tell you the truth," Nastumi added. "We're being threatened by something very terrifying."

"Something terrifying?" Usagi echoed.

"Yes, and it's in the next room." Nastumi looked at the Makaiju room. "But it's sleeping right now, so it'll be okay. Come."

"Okay..." Usagi blinked as Nastumi pulled her over to the locked room.

"Maybe next time." Usagi stammered.

"No, now's the time." Nastumi grinned and pushed her into the opened room.

"Yamandakka, don't lose her!" she called to the Cardian.

"What?" Usagi gasped when the door closed.

"Dakka!" the Cardian grabbed the screaming Usagi and started to drain her.

"That's enough! that's enough!" the Makaiju droned.

"Dakka?" the Cardian looked over the the tree.

"Stop it already!" the Makaiju cried, extending its roots to encase the entire apartment block.

"What's that?" Seijuro gasped.

"What's going on?" Mamoru asked.

"What's wrong?" Nastumi exclaimed, being knocked off her feet by the enlarged roots.

"Help!" she shouted when one of the roots got her.

"Dumpling!" Mamoru gasped.

"Usagi-san!" Seijuro called out.

"Yaman! Yaman!" the Cardian cried as it was entangled within the roots. With a toss, the Makaiju tossed the Cardian to the ground.

"Dakka.." the Cardian was then knocked unconscious.

* * *

Outside the building...

"What's going on here?" Rei asked.

"Usagi!" Ami gasped, seeing the entangled blond.

"We can't go in like this." Luna remarked. "Everyone, transform now!"

"Got it!" the four girls nodded.

"Mars Power!" Rei called out.

"Mercury Millennium Power!" Ami cried.

"Venus Power!" Minako shouted.

"Jupiter Power!" Makoto yelled.

"Make Up!" the four chorused.

"Sailor Mars!" the fire Senshi declared.

"Millennial Sailor Mercury!" the ice Senshi announced.

"Sailor Venus!" the orange-clad Senshi posed.

"Sailor Jupiter!" the Jovian Senshi finished the introduction.

"Let me do it!" Sailor Jupiter offered. "Supreme Thunder!"

"It didn't work." she blinked when the roots reminded unharmed.

Just then, Usagi's scream rang through the street.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	19. ARC 2: The Doom Tree’s Secret

SailorStar9: Chapter 17 goes up. This is Chapter 18.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 18: True Love Awakens! The Doom Tree's Secret

* * *

"If the Makaiju keeps growing like this, all the energy on Earth will be absorbed." Luna remarked.

"Let me handle it!" Sailor Venus proposed. "Crescent..."

"Wait!" Millennial Sailor Mercury suddenly stopped the orange Senshi from attacking.

"What's wrong?" Sailor Venus asked.

"I felt something." Millennial Sailor Mercury replied.

"What?" Sailor Venus blinked.

"Mercury?" Sailor Jupiter looked at the ice senshi who was walked towards the overgrown tree.

"This Makaiju..." Millennial Sailor Mercury muttered, resting a hand on a root as a pale blue shot from her diadem and onto her palm, revealing the fully-grown 'Cleansing Sapphire. "Is sentient."

"What?" the two cats exclaimed.

"No way!' Sailor Mars gasped.

Shutting her eyes, Millennial Sailor Mercury concentrated.

_Just as I thought._ She smiled. _It really _is_ you, my dear sampling. How much you have grown since I last saw you._

_Adeline-sama..._ the Makaiju returned her thought. _You and Solaris-sama were the ones who sent me and the other seedlings into the far reaches of the galaxy. You are... my, our, parents..._

Everyone else gaped when the roots parted to allow them passage.

"It's coming!" Sailor Venus took charge, leaping forward with the other two.

"This is..." Sailor Jupiter gasped at the revealed path.

"Looks like it's letting us in." Sailor Mars noted.

"All right." Sailor Jupiter remarked.

"Let's go." Sailor Venus instructed.

"Okay!" Sailor Mars nodded.

That decided, the Senshi and the cats leapt in, with Millennial Sailor Mercury taking the lead as she shone her crystal within the darkened building.

The roots parted as the healing light shone on them, recognizing the familiar shine and leading the girls and the cats towards the spoilt elevator.

"Climb up there." Millennial Sailor Mercury instructed, turning to the hatch on the elevator's roof, upon the Makaiju's prodding.

"Okay!" Sailor Jupiter nodded, kicking the hatch open.

"Hurry!" she urged, reaching in the grab to the rest.

* * *

Up in the demolished apartment...

The berserk Makaiju had caught Mamoru within its roots.

"Mamoru!" Usagi gaped, having been caught by the root as well.

"Are you all right?" Mamoru tried to reach over to her. "Dumpling Head?"

"Mamoru!" Usagi tired to take his hand.

"Mamoru..." she muttered, their fingers barely grazing each other.

"You are..." she look up at Ali who had kicked their almost entwined fingers apart.

"I will not allow you to touch my Usagi-san!" Ali told Mamoru.

"Ali! What are you going to do with my Mamoru?" Ann pressed.

"What did you just say?" Ali hissed.

Ann blushed before retorting, "Ali, you just said 'my Usagi-san' too! So you love that girl more than me after all!"

"How dare you?!" she fumed.

"You have it all wrong! It's different from the love I have for you" Ali protested.

"Enough!" Ann shouted. "I don't want to hear it anymore!" "Makaiju! Steal only that girl's energy!"

"No! Only steal from that guy!" Ali instructed.

"Ali!" Ann objected.

"Have you forgotten the way I took care of you all these years?" Ali insisted.

"If you don't listen to me, you're going to be in trouble!" Ann threatened.

The Makaiju retaliated by draining more of Usagi's and Mamoru's energy.

"Mamoru!" Ann gasped.

"Usagi-san!" Ali called out as the two teleported to save the two.

"Mamoru!" Ann tugged at Mamoru's vine.

"Damn it! Makaiju, let her go now!!" Ali did the same with Usagi.

"Stop it, Makaiju! Don't take Mamoru's energy!" Ann pleaded.

"Stop!" Ali turned to the tree. "Did you forget everything I've done for you, you monster?"

The Makaiju responded by sending an energy wave at the two, throwing them back.

"Usagi-san!" Ali called out when the Makaiju released its hold.

"Mamoru!" Ann gasped at the falling man, the two aliens teleported to support their crushes

"Usagi-san! Usagi-san!" Ali tried to wake her.

"Mamoru! Hang on!" Ann pleaded.

"Usagi!" Luna called.

"Mamoru!" Sailor Mars gasped as the two aliens glared at them.

"Those two! I knew it!" Sailor Jupiter hissed.

"Usagi, are you okay?" Millennial Sailor Mercury asked, having withdrawn the 'Cleansing Sapphire'.

"Not really..." Usagi mumbled.

"Shoot! Why do you have to show up now?" Ali hissed.

"Go away!" Ann retorted, unleashing an energy wave at the group as she jumped up the group jumped apart to dodge the attack.

Ann fired another energy wave, splitting Millennial Sailor Mercury, Sailor Venus and Luna apart.

"Why, you!" Sailor Mars growled, pulling out an anti-evil scroll. "Fire Soul Bird!"

The two aliens' eyes glowed, forming an energy shield to protect themselves from the charging flame bird.

"Ice..." Millennial Sailor Mercury charged up her attack.

"Supreme..." Sailor Jupiter powered up.

"Crescent..." Sailor Venus called out her attack.

"Useless! Useless useless! Useless! it's all useless!" the two aliens mocked, sending an energy wave at the Senshi.

"Lowly animals!" Ann scorned at the fallen Senshi.

"Know your limits!" Ali added, the two charging up for another attack and firing at the Senshi and the cats.

"Plasma Dome!" came Solaris Knight's energy shield.

"What?" Ali spat when a powerful energy sphere protecting the Senshi and dispelling their attack

"That's it!" Usagi hissed in determination. "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"What? Usagi-san is Sailor Moon?" Ali gasped at the transformed Senshi.

"No wonder her clumsiness reminded me of Tsukino-san." Ann noted.

"Stop it right there! Greenery is the life of Earth. It is the friend of all living creatures." Sailor Moon declared. "They say 'God did no create one greenery to be better then the other, nor one greenery less than another.' Don't you remember?"

"What?" Artemis sighed, the two Mau cats sweatdropping.

"I'm a Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Moon!" the Moon Senshi announced. "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Oh, stop yapping this nonsense!" Ann retorted. "Ali, let's hurry up and kill her!"

"But Usagi-san is Sailor Moon." Ali replied.

"And if that's the case..." he looked over at Millennial Sailor Mercury. "Ami-san is... Sailor Mercury!?"

"What are you saying?" Ann retorted, pointing at Solaris Knight who was supporting the fallen ice Senshi. "If Mizuno-san really cared about you, she would not have transformed into Sailor Mercury to fight against us!"

At Ali's startled gasp, she smirked, "In other words, Mizuno-san never loved you at all!"

"I don't believe this." Ali muttered in disbelief.

"Mamoru, hang in there! Mamoru!" Sailor Moon lifted the unconscious man. "Mamoru, it's me!"

"Mamoru!" she gasped, grasping the reincarnated Earth Prince's hand.

"It seems that man also never cared about you, Ann." Ali shrugged, noticing Ann's shocked expression at the tender scene.

"No... It can't be true!" Ann hissed.

"Then, let me ask you this." Ali remarked. "Has he ever tried to hold your hand before? Forget about him, Ann!"

"How dare he!?" Ann fumed. "The deepest love breeds a hatred a hundredfold worse!"

Her anger rocketing, she fired an enraged energy blast at the couple.

"Sailor Moon!" Luna gasped, the pair thrown backwards, their hands still entwined.

"Mamoru!" Sailor Moon winced, looking over at him.

"You insolent worm! Time for you to die!" Ann growled.

"Farewell, Tsukino Usagi, the Andromeda of my heart,." Ali muttered in regret. "No, our enemy, Sailor Moon!"

"Makaiju! I have no more lingering affection for this planet!" he turned to the tree. "Obliterate this planet along with the humiliation of my first broken heart!"

"What?" Sailor Moon gasped.

"Obliterate?" Millennial Sailor Mercury echoed in horror.

"It can't be!" Sailor Mars exclaimed.

"Now, Makaiju! Unleash your powers!" Ali ordered.

"Not so fast!" Sailors Mars, Venus and Jupiter leapt to stop him.

Ann tossed an energy wave to throw them back.

"Moon Princess..." Sailor Moon begun her attack, only to have Ann send an energy wave at her.

Ann laughed at the fallen Senshi.

"Mamoru! Mamoru!" Sailor Moon looked over at the awakening Earth Prince. "Mamoru, be strong!"

"Sailor Moon?" Mamoru blinked.

"It's me, Princess Serenity." Sailor Moon smiled down at him. "No, I'm that dumpling head, Tsukino Usagi."

"What? Usagi?" Mamoru gaped.

"Please remember." Sailor Moon pleaded, holding onto his hands. "The events on the Moon Kingdom. The time you fought against the Dark Kingdom. All the times you rescued me. And the girl who loved you."

"Remember... the Moon Kingdom?" Mamoru echoed.

"Mamoru, please remember!" Sailor Moon begged.

"Shut up!" Ann hollered, sending an energy wave at the reunited couple.

"Sailor Moon!" Luna exclaimed as Ann laughed when she sent wave after wave of energy at them.

"Mamoru!" Sailor Mars gasped.

"Shoot!" Sailor Jupiter gaped.

Sailor Moon stood before the fallen Mamoru, blocking Ann's next attack.

"What?" the two aliens were astonished.

"Sailor Moon?" Mamoru gaped at the Moon Senshi.

"Why did you do that?" Ali asked, not understanding.

"If it's for the person I love, I'll risk anything, even my life!" Sailor Moon replied.

"Really? you're so noble." Ann mocked, sending another energy attack at the Senshi. "Come on, why don't you beg for your life?"

"I don't care what happens to me," Sailor Moon replied. "But please don't kill Mamoru!"

"Sailor Moon!" Mamoru looked at the tearing Senshi.

"You must be kidding me!" Ann laughed. "There's nothing more important than one's own life!"

With that, she send another energy wave at Sailor Moon, only to have Mamoru take the attack for the Senshi.

"What?" Ali was shocked.

Not giving them any respite, the resentful Ann fired another energy attack at them.

"Mamoru!" Sailor Moon screamed when Mamoru collapsed before her as he took on another of Ann's attacks.

"Mamoru! Mamoru! Mamoru!" she yelled, catching the fallen Earth Prince in her arms after the defenseless Mamoru took on another barrage of Ann's attacks.

"Beautiful..." Ali muttered. "It's so beautiful. So, this is love."

"Ali?" Ann looked at her companion.

"Ann, love is not something you take by force." Ali remarked. "Love... Love is something your nurture by caring for one another."

"What are you saying?" Ann demanded.

"He's right!" Solaris Knight replied.

"If it's for someone we care about, we can face any hardship with love and courage." Millennial Sailor Mercury agreed.

Enraged, Ann was about to fire another energy attack when a white rose intervened.

"Moonlight Knight-sama!" Sailor Jupiter gasped as the aliens teleported to doge the rose.

"All creatures in the universe are brothers and sisters. Before you fight, you should open your souls." the Moonlight Knight advised.

"You have no idea what kind of hardships we went through!" Ann shot back. "For the longest time, we were all alone, wandering this universe!"

"Ann!" Ali turned to stop her.

"We took whatever we wanted!" Ann continued her tirade. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have survived!"

"If you just keep on taking, you will give birth to nothing." the Moonlight Knight told her. "It will only bring hatred and pain."

"Shut up!" Ann hollered, firing a charged up attack at the Moonlight Knight.

"Moonlight Knight!" the four Senshi gasped when the Moonlight Knight was thrown against a vine wall.

"The Makaiju!" Ali gasped at the berserking tree, which had then thrown the ones on the ground off with its vines.

"Watch out!" he pulled Ann away from the attacking vines.

"Ali!" Ann gasped when one of the vines whipped the male alien on his back.

"Stop this!" she placed herself before the pointed vine, protecting Ali.

"Ann!" Ali screamed when the vine pierced her chest as everyone looked on in horror.

"Ann..." he took her in his arms.

"Ali..." Ann choked.

"Ann, why?" Ali asked.

"Because... I love you..." Ann stammered.

"Ann..." Ali muttered.

"Love isn't something I should take, is it?" Ann finally understood.

At Ali's nod, she added, "I just didn't want to lose you."

"Ann! I don't want to lose you either!" Ali shouted.

"I feel something nice and warm inside me..." Ann mumbled, tearing. "I've never felt this before."

With that, her eyes shut and she died in Ali's arms.

"Ann!" Ali let out an anguish scream.

"Ann, I will be joying you soon." he told the dead alien as the vine turned to attack him. "Ann!"

"Doom Tree, stop!" Millennial Sailor Mercury screamed, reverting into her 'Cleanser' form.

At its creator's yell, the vine stopped in its tracks.

"So, you've finally learned." the Makaiju spoke.

"The tree spoke." Sailor Moon blinked.

"Doom Tree, you..." the newly-revealed 'Cleanser' gasped when the tree shone a bright light.

"I understand." she nodded. Willing out the 'Cleansing Sapphire' she answered the Makaiju's light with the jewel in her palms.

"Where am I?" Ann wondered as the light shone on him.

"Is this inside the Makaiju's consciousness?" Ali mused.

"Once upon a time," the Makaiju begun its tale. "There was nothing but the ocean and myself on that planet. King Solaris and Queen Adeline had used their powers to send me and my other seedling siblings into the galaxy to prevent Queen Selenity from utilizing our power. After spending eons in solitude, I wanted someone to talk to."

"So, we were born from the Makaiju." Ali realized.

"I loved them all, and they paid me with their respect, just as Queen Adeline had hoped." the Makaiju continued. "We lived happily together. It was a fun time. But... Gradually, they became smarter and started fighting for my energy. At the same time, their respect for me faded and soon they were ruled solely by anger, hatred and malice. But still, I believed in them. I dreamed that things could go back to the happy days like before. But they foolishly escalated their fighting, and in the end, they destroyed their own planet. The survivors and I wandered the universe and visited many star systems hoping to find King Solaris and Queen Adeline. However, we could not find a planet that we could settle on, nor could we find Solaris-sama and amity-sama. Meanwhile, their numbers dwindled and the last two left were you two, Ali and Ann. They knew nothing of true love and their only means of survival was through the use of force. A pitiable pair."

"I feel sorry for you, Makaiju. No, Doom Tree." the 'Cleanser' remarked.

"What I need is not energy, but love." the Makaiju replied.

"Love?" Ali echoed, carrying the dead Ann in his arms.

"I tried to tell you this by drying up my own body," the Makaiju told him. "But it seems you never understood."

"I'm sorry." Ali apologized.

"That's all right." the Makaiju soothed him. "At the very end, you finally learned the love of caring for one another."

"Ann..." Ali sobbed over Ann's body.

"Adeline-sama." the Makaiju turned its attention to its creator.

"What?" the Senshi looked at the tree.

"I have a favor to ask." the Makaiju requested. "Please purify me with your power of love."

"Yes." the 'Cleanser' nodded and turned into her Goddess form.

Cupping the 'Cleansing Sapphire' between her palms, the 'Cleanser' released the crystal's healing power at the Makaiju, the light restoring Koroudo's memory.

"Cleansing!" the Makaiju cried as a pillar of purifying light washed over it.

"The Makaiju disappeared." Sailor Moon gasped when the tree vanished.

"It will begin the regeneration process." the Moonlight Knight informed her. "Just as expected from the crystal that purifies all darkness."

"Moonlight Knight-sama, so you're safe." Sailor Moon beamed.

"Sailor Moon, no, Tsukino Usagi..." the Moonlight Knight added.

"How did you know that?" Sailor Moon gasped.

"Now is the time to reveal my identity." the Moonlight Knight told her, pulling down his veil.

"Mamoru?" Sailor Moon exclaimed. "There are two Mamorus?"

"Yes, I am the other Chiba Mamoru." the revealed Moonlight Knight replied.

"What do you mean?" Usagi inquired.

"When the final battle against Queen Beryl ended, Chiba Mamoru's memories were lost." the Moonlight Knight explained. "But his will to aid Sailor Moon, no, a girl precious to him named Tsukino Usagi, remained strong in him. That subconsciousness will took on a life of its own and created a shadow, if you will, called the Moonlight Knight, for the sole purpose of rescuing you when you were in danger."

"Mamoru..." Sailor Moon mumbled.

"However, my work is done now." the Moonlight Knight concluded. "Chiba Mamoru has awakened to your devoted love, and he will become one with me to walk towards the future by your side."

"What?" Sailor Moon blinked.

"Adieu." the Moonlight Knight waved his final farewell, entering Mamoru's body in a stream of wind.

"Sailor Moon! Sailor Moon! Sailor Moon!" the now awakened Mamoru called.

"Mamoru..." Sailor Moon stammered.

"Sailor Moon... No, my dumpling head Tsukino Usagi." Mamoru smiled.

"You got them back! You got your memories back!" Sailor Moon sobbed happily.

"Mamoru!" she threw herself into his arms. "Mamoru... Mamoru..."

The two then turned to a suddenly glowing Ann as the 'Cleansing Sapphire' hovered over Ann's body, Queen Adeline using the crystal to revive her.

"Ann!" Ali gasped.

"Ali?" Ann peered open her eyes.

"You've come back to life! Ann!" Ali was astonished, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Ali!" Ann smiled.

"Oh, look!" Sailor Moon gasped at the glowing Makaiju sampling in Queen Adeline's hands. "This is..."

"A sprout of the Makaiju." Queen Adeline replied, taking the sampling and handed it to Ann.

"Amity... sama..." the two aliens blinked at the 'mother' of the Makaiju.

"I'll leave this last sampling to you." Queen Adeline smiled.

"Yes, okaa-sama." Ali nodded. "We'll raise this on a new planet."

"Yes, kaa-san." Ann agreed. "With the energy of our love."

"I'm glad." Sailor Moon remarked at the new couple.

"Yeah." Mamoru agreed.

Then, the two aliens lifted themselves in a bubble, taking the Makaiju spourt with them. Before they disappeared to find a new home, they bowed their thanks to Queen Adeline.

"They'll find happiness for sure, won't they?" Sailor Moon inquired.

"Yes, I'm certain of it." Mamoru agreed.

"I hop we can also..." Sailor Moon turned to him.

"How sweet!" Sailors Mars, Venus and Jupiter teased behind the reunited couple.

"Thank you for showing off!" Sailor Mars chided as the couple broke apart.

"I'm so jealous!" Sailor Jupiter joked.

"I'm going to finds a boyfriend too!" Sailor Venus agreed.

"Somebody like Mamoru would be nice!" Sailor Mars joked.

"No, no!" Sailor Moon protested.

"Just kidding!" the three girls chorused.

Solaris Knight and Millennial Sailor Mercury chuckled.

"Welcome back," Solaris Knight smirked at Mamoru. "Endymion."

"You know I hate that." Mamoru complained.

* * *

SailorStar9: Whoopee! The 'Makaiju' saga is done! Next stop, the 'Dark Moon' saga. Stay tuned and in the meanwhile, read and review.


	20. ARC 2: Mysterious Girl from the Sky

SailorStar9: Chapter 18 goes up. This is Chapter 19.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 19: An Angel? A Devil? Mysterious Girl from the Sky

* * *

Time passes...

The scene opens with an UFO in the sky as Cooan, Beruche, Calaveras, Petz, and Rubeus looked down upon Tokyo.

"Rubeus-sama, is this the Tokyo Juuban area?" Cooan inquired.

"Yes. As I expected, the town does not seem to be developed yet." Rubeus replied.

"Let's find the Ginzuishou immediately and destroy it." Cooan suggested.

"Now, do not be so impatient, Cooan." Rubeus chided.

"But..." Cooan protested.

"He's right." Beruche added. "We could also conceivably find the Rabbit first and kill her."

"That's true." Rubeus chuckled. "All right, let's find the Rabbit and kill her first."

* * *

Meanwhile...

Mamoru and Usagi were out rowing on a lake.

"Say, Mamo, we'll be together forever, won't we?" the blond muttered.

"Yes, we will, Usako." Mamoru replied.

"Oh, this is the happiest moment of my life." Usagi swooned.

"You're exaggerating too much, Usako." Mamoru teased.

"Here, be careful." he pulled her onshore once the boat reached the pier.

_I got lucky..._ Usagi blushed when she slipped and landed on Mamoru's chest.

Taking the perfect moment, the reunited lovers kissed.

However, their tender moment was interrupted when Luna-P dropped on Mamoru's head.

The reincarnated Earth Prince sweatdropped, opening his eyes to see the Luna-lookalike on the floor.

Just then, a cloud spiral appeared in the sky as a bright burst of light blinded the couple and Chibi-Usa landed on Usagi's head, taking her place on Mamoru's lips.

"What's going on? Usagi asked, spawned on the floor.

"Who the heck are you?" she demanded, seeing Chibi-Usa on Mamoru. "Clinging onto my Mamo!"

"Mamo?" Chibi-Usa echoed, the Time Key dangling from her neck.

"Hey! Get away from Mamo!" Usagi shouted.

"What?" she blinked when Chibi-Usa turned to look at her.

"Where did you come from?!" she demanded.

"I'm Usagi." Chibi-Usa told her.

"What?" Mamoru blinked.

"Usagi?" Usagi echoed.

"What is your name?" Chibi-Usa asked. "And why do you have the same hairstyle as me?"

"That's what I want to know!" Usagi pressed. "This hairstyle is supposed o be Tsukino Usagi's trademark!"

"So, you're Tsukino Usagi." Chibi-Usa realized she had found the person she was looking for as Luna-P floated behind the blond.

"If you're Tsukino Usagi, you have the Ginzuishou, don't you?" she pressed, pointing a gun at Usagi's forehead. "Give it to me now!"

"Now, now, I know you're kidding; it's just a toy..." Mamoru chided.

"Don't move!" Chibi-Usa cut him off. "If you move, this girl will die!"

"Now, hand over the Ginzuishou!" she demanded.

"What?" Usagi feigned ignorance. "What is the Ginzuishou?"

"It's no use playing dumb." Chibi-Usa frowned. "I already know you have the Ginzuishou."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Usagi replied. "even if you threaten me with that toy, if I don't know, then I don't know."

"So, you're going to insist on playing dumb." Chibi-Usa concluded. "In that case..."

"Usako!" Mamoru rushed to her side after Chibi-Usa fired her gun.

"Oh, it's a toy; just as I thought." he sighed in relief, seeing the sucker dart with a flower on Usagi's forehead, the blond having fainted from shock.

"Hey, stop playing these stupid jokes." he scolded.

"What?" he blinked when he found Chibi-Usa had disappeared.

* * *

That evening...

"I'm home." Usagi declared tiredly.

"So, who the heck was she?" the blond wondered outloud. "It was such a perfect date, all by ourselves."

Opening the door to her room, she hurried down to the living room seconds later.

"Hey! Shingo!" she hollered.

"What's wrong, Usagi?" Kenji looked at his outraged daughter.

"Shingo, you!" Usagi hissed at her younger brother. "You messed up my room didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Shingo inquired.

"Don't play dumb!" Usagi pressed, before she noticed Luna-P peeking out from behind him.

"Why are you here?" she stammered, as Chibi-Usa peered from behind Shingo.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Came the sky?" Usagi inquired as the couple sat on a bench._

"_Yeah, that's the only thing I can think of." Mamoru replied. "But that's not all that's weird. She knew about the Ginzuishou."_

"_Mamo..." Usagi muttered._

"_Don' worry. I'll be with you." Mamoru assured her._

* * *

"Your cousin, Usagi, will be living with us from today." Ikuko told her daughter.

"Don't be fooled by her! This girl isn't human!" Usagi fumed.

"Why are you saying such silly things?" Kenji chided after Usagi's outburst.

"Stupid Usagi only says stupid things." Shingo shrugged.

"Because we don't have any cousins!" Usagi insisted.

"Stupid Usagi, did you really become stupid?" Shingo scolded.

"What are these?" Usagi stammered once she was shown the New Year's photos inside the photo album with Chibi-Usa in them.

"She came to visit us this New Year's remember?" Shingo replied.

"No way! It can't be!" Usagi blew up.

"Usagi, clam down." Ikuko soothed.

"You're so funny." Chibi-Usa remarked.

_Why you! Acting so innocent_! Usagi fumed, before her attention was caught by Luna.

* * *

In the bathtub...

"Just who the heck is she?" Usagi fumed.

"Everything happened while I was gone for just a little bit." Luna remarked outside the bathroom.

"Anyway, those pictures are some sort of fakes!" Usagi insisted.

"I know, not only that, she used some kind of weird energy and altered everyone's memories." Luna added.

"She's after the Ginzuishou!" Usagi informed the cat. "Luna, what should I do?"

"For now, let's watch and wait until she shows her true colors." Luna advised.

"Oh, Luna! you're thinking way too passively!" Usagi chided.

Then she blinked as bubbles frothed from the tub before shrieking when Luna-P floated to the surface.

"Hand over the Ginzuishou!" Chibi-Usa demanded.

"Give it to me!" she pressed, fighting in the tub with the past self of Neo-Queen Serenity.

"Stop it already!" Usagi struggled.

"Hand it over!" Chibi-Usa insisted.

_Well, at least she doesn't seem to be out to kill Usagi._ Luna sweatdropped.

* * *

That night in bed...

"You just have to be strong." Luna told Usagi.

"You're right. After all, Mamo still loves me." Usagi agreed.

"Of course..." Luna sighed.

"_Don't worry. I'll be with you." Mamoru had assured the blond._

"_Mamo..." Usagi gushed._

"Where did you hide the Ginzuishou?" Chibi-Usa cut off Usagi's thoughts.

Usagi screamed and burst out of her room, waking everybody up.

"Give me the Ginzuishou!" Chibi-Usa pressed, clinging onto Usagi.

"Luna! Luna! Help!" Usagi begged, only to have Luna-P knock the cat off.

* * *

Back in her room...

Usagi tossed Chibi-Usa onto her bed.

"Out! Get out of my room!" the blond screamed.

"Usagi!" Shingo scolded.

"Why are you so mean to her?" Ikuko rebuked.

"I'm not mean! Because she is..." Usagi protested.

"Onee-chan, please don't be so mean to me." Chibi-Usa implored, putting on her 'angel face'.

_Why you!_ Usagi fumed.

"Usagi, she came to Tokyo all by herself." Kenji chided.

"She must be very lonely." Ikuko added, carrying Chibi-Usa in her arms.

"You have to be nice to her, stupid Usagi!" Shingo scolded.

* * *

Back in the UFO...

"Rubeus-sama, I've looked everywhere in the Juuban area. "But I have yet found the Rabbit." Cooan reported.

"So, you could find her?" Rubeus inquired.

"I am very sorry." Beruche apologized.

"Sorcerer Wiseman!" Cooan gasped when the adviser appeared before the group

"The Ginzuishou is a stone that brings us trouble. As long as the Ginzuishou exists we cannot destroy

the Crystal Tokyo we hate so much." Wiseman remarked.

"Wiseman-sama, is the Ginzuishou really in the Juuban area?" Beruche asked.

"Yes it is, have faith in my divination." Wiseman advised.

"The Ginzuishou..." Rubeus echoed, when Wiseman was out of earshot.

"I will find it and destroy it along with the 'Rabbit'." he promised.

* * *

The next day...

Having retrieved a photo from Usagi, Rei used the Great Fire to find out about Chibi-Usa.

"Rin, Pyo, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" the Shinto priestess chanted.

"I found it!" the fire Senshi replied.

"What?" the four girls gasped.

"So, as we expected..." Ami started.

"You sensed an evil aura from that photo, didn't you?" Usagi pressed.

"Usagi, your..." Rei begun. "Kimono is prettier than you are." causing to four girls to anime-fall.

"Rei! Do this seriously!" Usagi scolded.

"Sorry!" Rei joked. "To tell you the truth, I didn't get any reaction from this picture."

"What? Really?" Usagi whined as Chibi-Usa peered in.

"So they are Tsukino Usagi's friends." the pink-haired girl noted. "Then she could've asked one of those girls to hold the Ginzuishou."

"Hi, little cute girl, what are you doing here?" Grandpa Hino asked Chibi-Usa who was sitting on the ledge of the wooden floor as he carried a tray of snacks to the Fire Reading Room.

"Luna-P! Transformation!" Chibi-Usa turned the toy into a milk bottle.

"Ah, that's a nice trick." Grandpa Hino noted.

"Oh, no, no! This is not coffee! It doesn't need any cream!" he protested when Chibi-Usa squirted drops of the sleeping potion into the tea cups.

"This is not cream." Chibi-Usa told him.

"What?" Grandpa Hino blinked as Chibi-Usa pushed the milk bottle into his mouth.

"I told you; it's not cream." the pink-haired girl added, taking the tray in the unconscious Grandpa Hino's place. "It's a sleeping potion."

Turning back into Luna-P the toy floated after its mistress.

* * *

In Rei's room...

"That's weird. So you don't feel any evil aura." Usagi remarked, looking at the picture. "Rei, I didn't know your psychic powers were so unreliable."

"Stop saying rude things!" Rei chided.

"Usagi, maybe you're just thinking too much." Minako reasoned.

"What?" Usagi blinked.

"She's right." Makoto agreed. "We resolved all kinds of incidents. And your relationship with Mamoru is finally working."

"Since you have nothing to worry about," Rei teased, noting Usagi's blush. "Maybe you're trying to find something new to worry about?"

"That's not true!" Usagi protested.

"I don't know about that." Rei joked.

"Usagi, then how about doing something you really need to do?" Ami voiced.

"Something I really need?" Usagi echoed.

"Yes, a junior high student's true calling." Ami agreed. "In other words, studying for entrance exams!"

The girls sighed.

"Ami, don't get so down to earth all of a sudden." Minako chided.

"Oh..." Ami gaped.

"Hello! You're all as adorable as usual." Grandpa Hino greeted the girls. "Won't one of you go on a date with me sometime?"

"Grandpa! Stop it! Please go away.," Rei chided.

"Don't be so mean. it's okay." Grandpa Hino assured her. "Here, I brought your favorite sweet Juuban hot spring dumplings."

"Okay. Okay. Thank you, Grandpa." Rei scolded. "Just put them there and leave."

"You're so cold." Grandpa Hino remarked. "I never expected to be treated so coldly by my own granddaughter at my age."

"I'm so disappointed; it's so just sad." he added, walking off.

"Geez, I'm the one with the grandpa." Rei sweatdropped, bringing the tray in. "Who hits on girls, regardless of their age. I'm the one who's disappointed here."

"Yeah, yeah! I agree!" Usagi added, gobbling on the mochi. "Seriously, it's a tragedy."

"What's wrong?" she blinked when the girls looked at her. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Yes, we will." Rei answered for everyone else as they sipped their tea.

Three sounds of something dropping caught Usagi's attention.

"Huh? What's wrong with everyone so suddenly?" Rei? The blond exclaimed at the three unconscious girls.

Looking out, she noted Grandpa Hino's shadow and hid.

The disguised Grandpa Hino peered in at 'his' handiwork.

"It looks like the sleeping potion worked." 'he' noted, seeing the unconscious girls.

"Now, let's find the Ginzuishou." Chibi-Usa added, opening the door as Grandpa Hino returned to its true form; Luna-P.

"Guess what?" Usagi grabbed the stunned Chibi-Usa from behind. "I didn't drink that tea!"

"Please, it'll take more than just sleeping potion to knock me off." Ami tsked.

"Sneaking that sleeping potion into the tea, you deserved to be spanked!" Usagi snapped, spanking the pink-haired girl. "Tell me who you are and where you're from. And why you're looking for the Ginzuishou!"

Chibi-Usa then cried when Usagi continued to spank her.

"Even if you cry, I won't forgive you!" Usagi retorted.

"What?" the blond gasped as Chibi-Usa's power flared, a crescent moon appearing on her forehead.

* * *

Outside, in a playground...

"What? Who is this?" a group of children clustered around Cooan as the Ayakashi Sister peered at a boy's forehead to check for the tell-tale crescent moon mark.

"That is..." the youngest of the Sisters looked at the pillar of power.

* * *

Back in Rei's room...

"Who are you?" Usagi asked, after the sudden surge in power when Chibi-Usa let off crying.

"I finally found you, little Rabbit." Cooan chuckled. "I've been looking everywhere for you. Now, it's time for you to die."

"Wait a minute! Who in the world are you?" Usagi demanded.

"Me? I'm the youngest of four the Ayakashi Sisters," Cooan replied. "Cooan."

"The Four Fandom Sisters?" Usagi mistranslated.

"You are in my way." Cooan growled.

"You will die first!" she declared, unleashing her 'Dark Fire' at the blond.

"Oh no! Rei's comic books!" Usagi panicked, putting out the blue flames on the bookshelf.

"Shoot!" Cooan spat when Chibi-Usa slid under her legs and fled.

"You're not getting away!" she chased after the future Princess.

"Hey, you! you're not getting away!" Usagi called out. "I don't know what's going on, but it looks like you're a bad guy! All right then."

"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!" she transformed.

"Here we go again." Ami sighed. "Mercury Millennium Power, Make Up!"

"You're very quick." Cooan remarked, having blasted Chibi-Usa with her 'Dark Fire' attack.

"Help me, Mom, Dad..." the pink-haired girl muttered before fainting as the crescent mark disappeared from her forehead.

"Time for me to finish you." Cooan grinned, raising her hand for the finishing blow.

"Stop right there!" Sailor Moon declared.

"Who are you?" Cooan frowned at the two Senshi.

"I'm a Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Moon!" the Moon Senshi declared.

"Sailor Moon is it?" Cooan echoed.

"Crooked villains threatening a child's life!" Millennial Sailor Mercury added.

"In the name of the moon, I will punish you!" Sailor Moon finished her speech.

"Cheeky girls!" Cooan snorted, releasing her 'Dark Fire' attack at them.

Sailor Moon dived to dodge the flames.

"Mercury Aqua Blizzard!" Millennial Sailor Mercury raised one hand to her the tiara, and with other arm extended to the side, she then brought her arms in front of her so her palms were one above the other. A spray of ice and snow then countered the flames, freezing the fire in its wake.

"Dark Fire!" Cooan jumped and released her attack again, showering Sailor Moon with her fireballs.

"Hot, hot, hot, hot!" Sailor Moon panicked, skipping over the flames.

With the Moon Senshi trapped within her fire cage, Cooan then approached the unconscious future Princess.

"Burn to death, Rabbit!" Cooan grinned.

"Sailor Body Attack!" Sailor Moon jumped off the side wall, literally body-slamming Cooan.

"How dare you dirty my face?!" Cooan growled, wiping the dust off.

"Die!" she cried, when her attack as interrupted by a rose.

"Who's there?" she demanded.

"Passionate fire is noble and beautiful." Tuxedo Kaman picked Chibi-Usa up.

"But evil fire to burn someone to death is ugly and horrifying." Solaris Knight added.

"Tuxedo Kaman-sama!" Sailor Moon swooned.

"We had it under control." Millennial Sailor Mercury muttered.

"Sure you had." Solaris Knight joked.

"I will burn you to death along with the Rabbit!" Cooan fumed.

"I won't let you! Sailor Moon declared.

"What?" Cooan gasped.

"Moon Princess Elimination!" Sailor Moon finished off the battle.

"I did it!" Sailor Moon beamed as the attack ended.

"Sailor Moon! Sailor Mercury!" Cooan growled from the roof.

"When did you..." Sailor Moon gasped.

"You will pay for this!" Cooan promised and disappeared.

"It seems that you have a new enemy now." Tuxedo Kaman noted.

"Thank you, Tuxedo Kaman-sama!" Sailor Moon smiled brightly.

"It appears that someone is after this little girl." Solaris Knight added, nodding towards Chibi-Usa.

Tuxedo Kaman then blinked as Chibi-Usa snuggled against him, a vision of a demolished crystal city appearing in his mind.

"Tuxedo Kaman-sama?" Sailor Moon blinked. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing." Tuxedo Kaman replied.

_What was that vision?_ He wondered.

_So warm..._ Chibi-Usa mused. _Just like Dad._

* * *

Back in the UFO...

"What? Sailor Moon? Sailor Mercury?" Rubeus echoed.

"Yes and there was another two." Cooan replied, re-applying her makeup. "Two awfully pretentious men called Tuxedo Kaman and Solaris Knight."

"I see. So some unexpected interference appeared." Rubeus noted. "But that is fine. We now know that the Rabbit is somewhere in this town. Sooner or later we'll find her, along with the Ginzuishou."

"We shall crush them both." Beruche added.

_Sailor Moon, Sailor Mercury, you'll both pay for smudging my face._ Cooan promised.

* * *

Later in Usagi's room...

"I see. It seems she's been through some tough and sad times." Luna noted as she and Usagi looked at the sleeping child.

"Chibi-Usagi." Usagi muttered. "If only you'd tell me everything upfront, I could have helped you."

* * *

SailorStar9: Finally! I got my butt down to finish this chapter, so please read and review.


	21. ARC 2: Mamoru Declares a Break Up

SailorStar9: Chapter 19 goes up. This is Chapter 20.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 20: Huge Shock for Usagi! Mamoru Declares a Break Up

* * *

Time passes...

"Usako!" a jogging Mamoru called out at a running Usagi. "I'm impressed. Are you out for a morning jog too?"

"Mamo!" Usagi ran to him, throwing herself into his arms.

"Hey, hey..." Mamoru chided as Usagi snuggled against him.

"We didn't even plan to meet, and I still bumped into you this early in the morning." Usagi nuzzled him affectionately. "So lucky!"

"I guess we are destined for each other." Mamoru noted.

"Mamo..." Usagi trailed.

"Hold it!" Luna interrupted the almost-kiss. "What do you think you're doing so early in the morning? Anyway, Usagi, now's not the time for that!"

"Oh, right!" Usagi remarked. "It's terrible! Chibi-Usa's gone missing!"

"I hope she wasn't taken by those weird people we met the other day." Mamoru noted as the trio took off to find the child.

"I don't think we need to worry about that, but..." Usagi added.

"But anyway, it's dangerous for her to be alone right now!" Luna remarked.

"Chibi-Usa..." Usagi mumbled, seeing the forlorn child on a swing.

"Mom, Dad..." Chibi-Usa muttered, gripping the stolen Time Key.

"Chibi-Usa." Mamoru started.

"What's wrong? You left home without telling anyone." Usagi told her. "Everyone's been worried about you."

"Be quiet; leave me alone." Chibi-Usa wiped off her tears.

"Oh..." Usagi blinked.

"Chibi-Usa..." Mamoru knelt beside the child. "Let's go. I'll take you home."

"Okay." Chibi-Usa nodded.

"That's my girl." Mamoru offered his hand.

As Chibi-Usa took it, Mamoru was struck by another vision of the demolished crystal city.

"Mamo?" Usagi called. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, no. It's nothing." Mamoru assured her.

* * *

Later as the group walked back...

"Chibi-Usa! Get off Mamo and walk by yourself!" Usagi retorted in jealousy when Mamoru gave the child a piggy-back.

"No way!" Chibi-Usa stuck her tongue at her. "And stop calling me 'Chibi-Usa', 'Chibi-Usa'!"

Putting her arms around Mamoru's back, she added, "My name is Usagi, got it?"

"What are you talking about? I'm Usagi!" Usagi shot back. "And the guy carrying you is my boyfriend!"

"Wrong! Mamo is my boyfriend!" Chibi-Usa corrected.

"Dream on! Mamo and I share..." Usagi retorted. "A really... deep bond of love! So, you can try to seduce him all you want, but you're just wasting your time. Stop clinging to my Mamo, okay?"

"Come on. It's okay, Usako." Mamoru chided. "Chibi-Usa is still a kid. She's just lonely."

"Hey! Even you're calling me Chibi-Usa now!" Chibi-Usa protested.

"Oh! Sorry about that." Mamoru replied. "But I think Chibi-Usa sounds pretty cute."

"What? Really?" Chibi-Usa beamed.

"Yeah! It's really cute." Mamoru agreed.

"Okay, then you can call me Chibi-Usa!" Chibi-Usa hugged the past self of her father.

"Huh?" Mamoru blinked when he noticed that Usagi had walked ahead of him. "Usako?"

"Humph! You two go ahead and have fun!" Usagi retorted. "Why don't you go ahead and marry her, too?"

"Hey, Usako, what's wrong?" Mamoru chased after her. "What are you so mad about?"

"I don't care anymore!" Usagi snapped.

* * *

At the Tsukino household...

"Oh, Chibi-Usa, where were you?" Ikuko chided.

"You shouldn't disappear like that without telling us!" Shingo scolded. "We looked everywhere for you."

"I'm sorry." Chibi-Usa apologized.

"Well, it doesn't matter; at least she's safe now." Kenji remarked.

"By the way, Usagi, who is this? I think we've met once before." he added, looking over at Mamoru.

"Oh well..." Usagi stammered. "This is my friend Chiba Mamoru."

"Nice to meet you." Mamoru bowed slightly in greeting.

"Oh, thank you for looking after my daughter all the time." Ikuko smiled.

"Wow, he looks awfully good-looking to be stupid Usagi's boyfriend." Shingo teased.

"What? Boyfriend?" Kenji echoed in shock. "Is this true, Usagi?"

"Oh well... How should I..." Usagi sighed.

"Oh, I was in the middle of my morning jog, so..." Mamoru got himself out of the tense situation. "Please excuse me, bye!"

"Hey,wait a minute! You! Hey, you, wait!" Kenji fumed.

"Usagi, he's pretty handsome." Ikuko whispered to her daughter.

"What?" Usagi blinked.

"Bring him home next time your dad's out." Ikuko winked.

"Okay." Usagi nodded.

"Dear! Usagi... my daughter's turned into a delinquent!" Kenji wailed.

"Oh, Dear. There is no way our daughter would turn into a delinquent." Ikuko chided her over-dramatic husband.

"No, it's too late! Our daughter became a delinquent!" Kenji sobbed.

"Oh, you made Dad cry." Shingo sighed. "What are you going to do now, stupid Usagi?"

"Excuse me..." Chibi-Usa started. "I'm getting a bit hungry."

"Huh?" Kenji blinked. "Dear, do we have any relatives like her?"

"Now that you mention it." Ikuko remarked.

"Who are you again?" Shingo inquired.

"What?" Usagi turned to her brother.

"No!" Chibi-Usa stepped back, realizing the brainwash had worn off. "Luna-P! Transformation!"

Opening the umbrella, the child then used the brainwash technique on the Tsukino family.

"This is hypnosis!" Luna gasped, snapping out of the brainwash.

Biting Usagi hard on her arm, she took the blond out of the mind-control.

"Ouch! What are you doing?" she demanded of the cat, before turning to a smug Chibi-Usa.

"I'm your relative, Chibi-Usa!"Chibi-Usa reintroduced herself.

"Oh, I remember now." Kenji remarked.

"How did we forget you?" Ikuko chided herself.

"Yeah, I remember now. she's our cousin." Shingo agreed.

"Hey!" Usagi cut them off.

"So, this is how you hypnotized everyone, Chibi-Usa!" she fumed.

"Usagi!" Ikuko stopped her ranting.

"What kind of nonsense is that?" Shingo rebuked. "Why are you picking on Chibi-Usa like that?"

"You know it's not right, Usagi." Ikuko told her.

"Hoe many time do I have to tell you?" Kenji scolded.

Chibi-Usa stuck her tongue out at a fuming Usagi as Luna sighed.

"But this toy with the crescent-shaped bald spot looks just like Luna." Shingo noted.

"Here, look." he turned Luna-P around for Luna to take a look.

_No way!_ Luna whined.

* * *

Back in the UFO...

"Rubeus-sama!" Beruche beamed. "You called?"

"Beruche, look." Rubeus looked at the second youngest of the Sisters.

"It's Crystal Tokyo, the metropolis of the future that we hate!" Beruche noted, seeing the image on screen.

"We have to destroy this future city as son as possible." Rubeus concluded. "To do that, we must destroy the Ginzuishou in this world and kill the Rabbit."

"What shall we do? We still have not found any of them" Beruche sighed.

"But there are other ways to destroy Crystal Tokyo." Rubeus told her, revealing the five points on the holographic map. "These are Crystal Tokyo's barriers, the Crystal Points. We have found the Crystal Points which will become the future barriers."

"So, this is it?" Beruche inquired, the screen revealing a cosmetic store.

"Beruche, replace the energy of this place with Dark Power." Rubeus instructed.

"If we do this, in the future, Crystal Tokyo will be..." Beruche added, following his reasoning.

"It will surely collapse in short order." Rubeus finished her sentence.

* * *

On the street...

Mamoru was stuck by another vision of the demolished Crystal Tokyo, a forlorn Princess Serenity looking at him in the midst of the ruins.

Dropping his books, he used the side wall as a support.

_So that's it..._ the reincarnated Earth Prince realized what he had to do. _Unless I do something, Usako will..._

"I did it again." Usagi sighed, looking at her 32 mark Math test.

"It's Mamo!" she beamed.

"Ma..." she started to call out, but not before hiding the test.

"Mamo!" she ran towards him.

"Once again, we run into each other by pure coincidence!" she snuggled against him after throwing herself into his arms.

"Stop it!" Mamoru pushed her off. "Please stop hugging me."

"Sorry... Yeah I guess it's a little early for..." Usagi apologized sheepishly.

"That's not what I meant!" Mamoru snapped.

"What?" Usagi blinked.

"I'm saying that I don't love you anymore!" Mamoru replied.

"What do you mean?" Usagi was confused.

"We're finished!" Mamoru told her, turning back, stunning Usagi.

"It's Ami, isn't it?" the blond demanded.

"It's always about her!" she fumed. "First Ali, then Koroudo, now you! Why is that everybody falls in love with her? What's so good about her anyway? She isn't the Princess, I am!"

* * *

Later at the Hikawa Shrine...

"Mamoru dumped you?" Rei was bewildered.

"What's going on?" Makoto was confused.

"Ask her!" Usagi snapped, glaring heatedly at Ami.

"Me?" Ami blinked in confusion.

"You seduced him!" Usagi accused.

"What are you saying?" Ami protested. "There's no need for me to seduce Mamoru, not when I'm with Koroudo!"

"He was probably in a bad mood, and that's why he said those things." Minako tried to sooth the outraged Usagi. "Don't worry."

"She's right." Makoto agreed. "You two are lovers from a long time ago, transcending time. Besides, Ami already has Marume-san, so why would she want Mamoru?"

"Maybe he forced himself to say that for Usagi's sake." Ami suggested.

"What do you mean?" Rei asked.

"In other words, for the entrance exams." Ami replied. "Mamoru wants you to spend more time studying. That's why he told you he wanted to..." causing the girls to sweatdrop.

"I guess not." she concluded, looking at everyone's expressions.

"Don't worry." Rei assured the upset blond. "Minako is right. Mamoru is not like that."

"Yeah, thanks." Usagi mumbled.

* * *

Meanwhile in Mamoru's apartment...

"Yeah, that's good." Mamoru noted as Chibi-Usa did her homework beside him. "You're going to the same school as Shingo, right? You'll need to study hard."

"I know." Chibi-Usa replied.

Just then, the doorbell rang and Mamoru went to answer the door, only to find Usagi outside.

"What do you want?" Mamoru asked after Usagi let herself in.

"I'm sorry about this afternoon." Usagi replied. "I'm dense, so I didn't realize you were in a bad mood."

"It's not like that." Mamoru cut her off.

"What?" Usagi blinked.

"I just don't love you anymore." Mamoru replied.

"Mamo, I'll make sure to study hard, too." Usagi told him. "So..."

"Don't make me say it over and over again!" Mamoru snapped. "I just want to end our relationship!"

"Mamo..." Usagi mumbled. "There's no way I can believe that. Because you were Prince Endymion and I was Princess Serenity. We were lovers before we were even born in this world."

"That's why I want to end it!" Mamoru slammed his fist on the wall. "Why do I have to be your boyfriend just because I was in a previous life? I'm..."

He cut himself off when he saw Usagi tearing up.

"Chibi-Usa is here, isn't she?" Usagi looked at the tiny shoes on the floor. "Maybe you like Chibi-Usa better than me."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Mamoru retorted.

"You're right..." Usagi admitted. "I'm sorry, Mamo... for making you hang out with me until now."

Sobbing, she let herself out as Mamoru looked on.

_I'm sorry, Usako._ Mamoru conveyed his mental apologies to her.

* * *

Outside...

Usagi paced on the streets. Entering a telephone booth, she sank to her knees and wept.

"Mom, I'm sorry." she sobbed. "I can't bring Mamo home anymore."

* * *

Meanwhile...

The store assistants screamed before they were knocked unconscious when Beruche and her Droid took over the store.

"Droid? Droid Atsugessho?" Beruche inquired.

"Yes, I am here." the Droid appeared.

"Atsugessho, please sell my cosmetics in this newly renovated store." Beruche requested. "Specially made by Beruche, these cosmetics can turn any ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. But in a few years, your face will become rashy, your hair will gray and your acne will grow worse. That's why I call these the stylish Happy Clown Cosmetics."

"It sounds like fun." Atsugessho remarked.

"This store will no longer function as a Crystal Point in the future now." Beruche chuckled. "Not only that, in Crystal Tokyo, this place will be controlled by our energy."

"Yes, my lady." Atsugessho replied.

:Now then, advertising is my job." Beruche noted, standing on top of a building with a pile of flyers in hand.

"Oh no! Oh, so intense!" she shrieked as a strong gust of wind blew, scattering the flyers out of her hand.

One of the flyers landed beside the telephone booth Usagi was in and the blond picked it up.

"It's Usagi." Luna noted, seeing the blond enter the cosmetics store.

"Welcome, how can I help you today?" the disguised Atsugessho asked Usagi.

"Well..." Usagi started.

"Oh dear, your face is soiled by tears." Atsugessho remarked.

"What?" Usagi blinked.

"First, you wah your face with this cleanser. Then use this skin lotion, milky lotion and cream. And once your skin is ready, you put blush on your cheek-bones and lipstick on your lips.." Atsugessho introduced the products.

"Excuse me..." Usagi cut her off. "If I become prettier, will Mamo say he loves me?"

"Well, if you want a man to love you, you'll have to use heavy makeup to a certain degree." Atsugessho advised.

"But..." Usagi protested. "But just changing the way I look won't make Mamo love me again."

"Oh, no!" Atsugessho objected. "Once you change your looks, Mamo-san is certain to say he loves you! After all, all men are the same."

"You're wrong! Mamo isn't like that!" Usagi protested. "You don't know anything about him! What are you, a complete idiot? Never mind about the makeup!"

"Wait!" Atsugessho stopped her from leaving. "Do you think you can just leave after saying all that?"

"What?" Usagi gasped.

"Hey! Be quiet!" Atsugessho fumed.

"No! Stop! Let me go!" Usagi tried to shake off the Droid. "You can't leave here without putting some makeup on!"

No! Stop! Let me go!" Usagi tried to break free as the rest of the females fled out of the store.

"All my customers left because of you!" Atsugessho retorted, after the last customer left.

"What's with you?" Usagi snapped. "It's because you tired to force makeup on me!"

"Then, I have no choice!" Atsugessho remarked, revealing a power puff and unveiling itself.

"Who the heck are you?" Usagi panicked.

"Shut up! Let me put makeup on you!" Atsugessho demanded.

Just then, Luna jumped in, knocking the Droid off Usagi, sending Atsugessho crashing against a shelf.

"Luna!" Usagi gasped.

"She's our enemy! Usagi, transform!" Luna told her.

"I got it!" Usagi nodded. "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"You brat! Where did you go?" Atsugessho fumed.

"Who are you?" it demanded, seeing Sailor Moon.

"I'm a Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Moon! Forcing your cosmetics on girls who just want boys to like them! it's just not acceptable!: Sailor Moon declared. "In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"No matter who are you, anyone who finds out about our plan to destroy the future city must die!!" Atsugessho declared.

"Plan to destroy the future city?" Luna echoed.

"You brat! Put on heavy makeup!" Atsugessho demanded. "Do it!"

Opening its mouth, it shot corrosive liquid at Sailor Moon who dived behind the shelves.

"Put on heavy makeup!" the Droid droned, sliding towards Sailor Moon on her power puff, shooting out her liquid at the fleeing Senshi.

Stepping on a container on the ground, Sailor Moon skidded to the floor.

Luna leapt in when the Droid approached Sailor Moon, only to be flattened by the enlarged power puff.

"Put on heavy makeup!" the Droid droned.

"Luna!" Sailor Moon gasped.

"You will put on heavy makeup!" Atsugessho grinned.

Her approach was interrupted by a rose.

"Young girls have nice, smooth skin." Tuxedo Kaman announced.

"Heavy makeup is not necessary." Dragon Solaris added.

"Shut up! Oily skin, acne and dry skin need makeup!" Atsugessho retorted.

"Do it!" it fired its erosive liquid at the two males who jumped to dodge the attack.

"You put on heavy makeup too!" Atsugessho snapped.

"Oh hush it, Tammy Faye!" Millennial Sailor Mercury snarled. The Droid turned and fired its vitriolic liquid at the ice Senshi.

"Mercury Aqua Storm!" Millennial Sailor Mercury released her charged up iced water typhoon and sending the ice along with the Droid's attack back to the Atsugessho.

"My heavy makeup!" Atsugessho gasped, the frozen liquid hitting its face and erasing the makeup.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kaman turned to the Moon Senshi.

"Okay!" Sailor Moon nodded. "Moon Princess Elimination!"

"I haven't put on my heavy makeup yet!: the Droid cried as the attack washed over it and it crumbled into dust. The gem on its forehead dropped on top of the pile of dust, the Nemesian mark disappearing from within it and the stone turned black.

* * *

After the battle...

"Good-bye." Tuxedo Kaman walked off.

"Wait!" Sailor Moon called out. "Tuxedo Kaman-sama, you were lying when you said you didn't like me anymore, right? Because you came to save me again.""

"That has nothing to do with this." Tuxedo Kaman replied, clutching his fist.

"Then, Mamo..." Sailor Moon sobbed. "Please tell me why you don't love me anymore."

"I do not like weak girls." Tuxedo Kaman replied. "Good-bye."

'Mamo!" Sailor Moon called to the departing Tuxedo Kaman.

_I'm sorry, Usako._ Tuxedo Kaman transmitted her apology to her.

"Sailor Moon, I found the store clerks unconscious in the basement." Luna reported. "Let's help them."

"Sailor Moon?" the cat blinked at the silent Senshi.

_Understand, Mamo._ Sailor Moon mused. _I'll become stronger and win your heart back._

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	22. ARC 2: Goodbye Ami chan

SailorStar9: Chapter 20 goes up. This is Chapter 21.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 21: The Friendship of Sailor Senshi! Good-bye Ami-chan

* * *

Time passes...

Chibi-Usa was running across a bridge on her way home when she noticed the newly opened ice cream store.

"Oh, it's mint chocolate chip!" she drooled when she saw a schoolgirl's half-eaten ice cream.

"This is stupid; I'm not a kid anymore!" she scolded herself. "Who cares about ice cream? I have to hurry and find the Ginzuishou."

"Chibi-Usa, are you going home?" Ami asked when the child was about to leave.

"Ami..." Chibi-Usa blinked at the genius.

"What were you looking at?" Ami asked.

"Nothing." Chibi-Usa replied.

"Oh, you were looking at that new ice cream shop." Ami noted.

"I'm not interested in stuff like that." Chibi-Usa retorted.

"Really? But I heard it's really good." Ami remarked. "I want to try some, too. Say Chibi-Usa, would you have some with me? My treat, of course."

"Really?" Chibi-Usa beamed. "If you insist, I don't mind going."

"Ami, let's go!" she called out, running towards the ice cream store.

"Okay." Ami smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile at Hikawa Shrine...

"What? No way!" Usagi exclaimed.

"I heard that's it's pretty definite." Luna replied.

"I can't believe that Ami is going to study abroad in Germany." Rei added.

"She did get the best score on the national mock exam for two years straight." Minako pointed out.

"It's almost surprising that something like this didn't happen sooner." Makoto agreed.

"So, what about Ami?" Artemis asked.

"I heard that she hasn't made up her mind." Makoto replied.

"I'm sure she wants to go." Luna interjected.

"Ami's dream is to become a doctor like her mother." Makoto added. "Germany is one of the best places to study medicine."

"But, but, but!" Usagi protested. "I don't ever want to say goodbye to Ami! Besides! Besides, she's the precious brain behind our team! If the enemy attacks, are we going to call her back from Germany?"

"Usagi! Have some consideration for Ami's feelings, too!" Rei scolded.

"It's true that losing Ami will hurt," Minako mused. "But if we work harder, don't you think we'll be okay?"

"Then, you're all okay with being apart from Ami?" Usagi protested.

"I heard that she cut down on her sleeping hours so she could study on the days when we fight." Rei supplied. "Her hard work is finally about to pay off. We can't hold Ami back because of our childish desires."

"I agree; she should go." Makoto agreed. "An opportunity like this doesn't come often."

"Usagi, remember what you used to say," Luna reminded her. "'I want everyone to lead the life of a normal girl.'"

"Oh, you're right." Usagi relented reluctantly. "I think we should let Ami go to Germany."

"Usagi, you're more thoughtful than I expected!" Rei remarked.

"Then, let's throw Ami a going-away party!" Minako suggested.

"Yeah!" the girls agreed.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Well then." Ami remarked as the two girls finished their ice cream. "I have to go to cram school. See you later, Chibi-Usa."

"Okay, thank you for the ice cream." Chibi-Usa waved farewell.

_Ami seems like a really dependable person._ The child thought. if_ someone has the Ginzuishou, it could be her, rather than that irresponsible Usagi._

* * *

Meanwhile in the Hikawa Shrine...

"There are new transformation wands and communication devices." Artemis remarked, the cats revealing the Planetary Senshi's Star Wands and upgraded communicators.

"These should make you guys more powerful." Luna added, the girls picking up the new items.

"I guess Ami won't need hers." Usagi remarked.

"Yeah..." the other three nodded.

* * *

Back in the UFO...

"Beruche." Rubeus called.

"Yes, sir!" the youngest of the sisters greeted him.

"Another Crystal Point, a linchpin for the barrier around Crystal Tokyo, has been found." Rubeus told her.

"We want to destroy the Crystal Power in that place." Beruche noted, seeing the ice cream store come into view. "And replace it with Dark Power, correct?"

"Yes," Rubeus replied. "I hope you will do it right this time."

"Yes, sir! Beruche will take care of everything!" Beruche beamed. Blowing him a kiss, she went off to complete her mission.

* * *

After cram school...

"See you later!" the students dispersed.

"We have another test tomorrow." a male student told his companion.

"Ami!" Chibi-Usa called as the girl exited.

"Chibi-Usa?" Ami blinked at the child. "You shouldn't be out this late at night!"

"Ami, I want to ask you for a favor!" Chibi-Usa requested.

"What?" Ami blinked.

"I want to stay at your place for a while." Chibi-Usa replied.

"What's wrong? Did you have a fight with Usagi again?" Ami asked.

"Not really, but..." Chibi-Usa replied. "The thing is, I just want to study but it's difficult to concentrate at Usagi's place.

"I see..." Ami noted, an image of a fuming Chibi-Usa glaring sideways at a laughing Usagi who was reading her manga. "If it's to study, I don't think Thomas would mind. I'll call Usagi and let her know."

"Let's go." she took Chibi-Usa's hand.

"Thank you, Ami!" Chibi-Usa beamed, the two walking off to the carpark.

* * *

In Thomas' mansion later...

"Chibi-Usa?" Ami looked over at the dozing off child.

"I'm so sleepy." Chibi-Usa whined.

"It's only ten o'clock." Ami smiled. "We can still study for another hour."

"Ten o'clock!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed. "Oh, no! I have to go to bed! My teacher told me I need to go to bed by ten!"

"I know." Ami assured the child. "It's not okay to stay up late watching TV, but studying is different. So, let's study a little more."

_What's with this girl?_ Chibi-Usa wondered as Ami returned to her studies. _She's never off her guard. There's no way I can look for the Ginzuishou._

_Huh? What is this?_ She blinked when Ami looked at her.

"Chibi-Usa," the blue-haired genius voiced. "Where did you come from?"

"What?" Chibi-Usa blinked.

"You're lying about being Usagi's cousin, right?" Ami pressed.

"If you don't want to to talk, that's okay." she relented after a while. "But if you have nowhere to go, do you want to stay at my place?"

"What?" Chibi-Usa was confused.

"I may go somewhere very far away." Ami explained. "And if I do, my mother will become very lonely."

"Ami, you're going away somewhere?" Chibi-Usa asked.

"Yes. My dream has finally come true." Ami replied.

"Your dream?" Chibi-Usa echoed.

"No, it won't happen after all." Ami corrected. "I can't leave Usagi and the others behind."

Smiling at the child, she apologized, "Sorry, just forget about what I just said."

_Ami..._ Chibi-Usa wondered.

* * *

_Dream sequence_

"_Ami... Ami!" Usagi called out to the departing girl._

"_Usagi!" Ami turned back._

"_Ami, hurry! Let's go!" Usagi urged._

"_No, I can't." Ami replied._

"_Why not?" Usagi gasped when the genius girl walked off._

"_I can't go with you anymore." Ami gave the blond a side glance._

"_It can't be!" Usagi exclaimed._

"_I'm going somewhere very far away." Ami replied._

"_What?" Usagi gaped._

"_Farewell." Ami bade her goodbye and walked off._

"_I can't see you anymore." Mamoru echoing Ami's next sentence._

"_Mamo..." Usagi turned back to the reincarnated Earth Prince._

"_I don't love you anymore." Mamoru told her._

"_Farewell, Usagi." Ami bade the blond goodbye, the two fading from the dream._

"_Farewell dumpling head." Mamoru added._

"_Oh, wait!" Usagi called out to them._

* * *

"Ami..." Usagi mumbled in her sleep. "Mamo..."

* * *

Meanwhile...

Beruche had appeared on the bridge overseeing the ice cream store.

"Nipasu, it's time to work." the youngest of the Sisters told her Droid.

"Yes, my lady." Nipasu appeared.

"Please begin." Beruche requested. "I call this, 'I love a cold treat!'."

At her command, the snow Droid blew a gust of snow air at the store, freezing it.

"Good job." Beruche chuckled at the frozen store. "Please continue with our plan."

"Yes, my lady." the snow Droid replied.

* * *

The next morning...

"Good morning, Ami!" Usagi greeted.

"Good morning!" Ami returned the greeting.

"I bet you had a tough time baby-sitting Chibi-Usa." Usagi noted as the girls walked to school.

"No, not at all." Ami replied, the said child yawning between them.

"You can come visit anytime." she looked down at the yawning girl.

"I will!" Chibi-Usa beamed.

_I'll stay at your place as long as it takes to find the Ginzuishou._ The pink-haired girl decided.

"What? My moving-away party?" Ami exclaimed. "But I'm still trying to decide whether or not I should go."

"What are you talking about?" Usagi chided. "I know the departure date is getting close!"

"I filed all the paperwork already." Ami added. "But I still don't know..."

_Ami..._ Usagi wondered.

"No! Ami, you have to go to Germany!" she insisted. "You'll study hard there, become a great doctor and save lots of lives!"

"Usagi..." Ami muttered.

"We've got high hopes for you, Ami!" Usagi nodded.

"Okay!" Ami nodded, her decision made.

_With her gone, __Koroudo__ would be ripe for the picking._ Usagi licked her lips subconsciously. Yes, that delicious Adonis will be hers in no time.

* * *

Later in the park...

"Why? What's going on?" Rei pressed. "She doesn't want any going-away parties or sent-offs?"

"She isn't thinking of not going, is she?" Makoto asked.

"She decided to go, but..." Usagi trailed off.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_You know how terribly indecisive I can be at times." Ami reminded her. "That's why, if you throw me a going-away party, or send me off, I'm afraid I won't be able to leave you guys. Because I don't want to say good-bye."_

* * *

"That sounds like Ami." Rei noted.

"But no matter what Ami says, we should still at least see her off..." Makoto protested.

"Then how about we go directly to the airport to see her off?" Minako suggested.

"Oh, that's a good idea!" Makoto agreed.

"I agree!" Rei nodded.

"Then, let's do that!" Usagi beamed.

"Okay! To the airport!" the girls concurred.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"How about some ice cream?" the disguised Nipasu called out to its customers.

"Here you go!" a guy handed an ice cream cone to his date.

"Thank you!" the girl replied. "I heard that their ice cream is really good."

"Hey, don't stand so close!" the guy retorted after the pair took a lick.

"You too!" the girl shot back, the pair continued licking their cones. "Watch what you're doing!"

"Oh, it's so hot!" the guy remarked, the two going their separate ways.

"Welcome! How about some nice cold ice cream!" Nipasu called out.

"Everything seems to be going well." Beruche grinned under her umbrella.

"Yes." Nipasu agreed.

"Once they have some of my specially made ice cream, they won't be able to stand even a little heat." Beruche looked at the forming queue.

_And those who can't stand the heat,_ she grinned. _Will crave even more ice cream. In short, it will be impossible for them to create the barrier in the future._

"It is truly a brilliant plan." she smiled

"Of course!" Nipasu agreed as she opened the storage door, Artemis quickly leaping out of sight.

"Who's there?" Nipasu demanded.

"Oh, it's a kitty-cat. Come here." Beruche cooed as Artemis meowed.

_Phew._ Artemis let a mental sigh.

"Nipasu..." Beruche looked at her Droid as she picked up Artemis.

"Yes." the snow Droid replied as Beruche tossed Artemis into the air. In a whirlwind of snow, Nipasu returned to her original form. Blowing a gust of cold air at the cat, it encased Artemis in ice.

"Good night, kitty-cat." Nipasu grinned.

* * *

The next day...

Rei was chanting in front of the Sacred Fire with Minako, Usagi, Luna and Makoto behind her.

"It's no use!" the priestess reported after a startled gasp. "I can't feel Artemis' presence no matter how many times I try!"

"Could he be..." Minako was shocked.

"Anyway, this is highly unusual." Makoto noted.

"Could the enemy have gotten him?" Usagi voiced. "Maybe we should ask Ami, and with her computer..."

"Usagi." Rei reminded the blond who had stopped herself.

"I know. She's finally resolved to go to Germany," Usagi remarked. "So we better take care of this by ourselves."

"You got it!" Rei noted as everyone else nodded.

* * *

In Thomas' mansion...

"So today is the last day..." Chibi-Usa noted as Ami packed her belongings.

"Yes." Ami replied, shutting the suitcase.

"Thank you for helping me in my studies." Chibi-Usa smiled. "I hope you do well in Germany."

"Ami?" she blinked at the silent girl.

"Oh, thank you." Ami replied. "I hope you get along with everyone else, too."

"Sure!" Chibi-Usa smiled.

_She's not the one with the Ginzuishou after all._ She thought. _So, who has it?_

* * *

Meanwhile...

Minako was looking at the ice cream on the bridge.

"Minako, it's almost time to send off Ami at the airport." Luna reminded her as she leapt on the ledge.

"Yeah..." Minako replied.

"What's wrong?" Luna asked, following Minako's glance. "Oh, that's the ice cream shop that Artemis was suspicious about."

"Yes." Minako agreed.

* * *

As the shop closed for the day...

"Nipasu!" Beruche chirped.

"Beruche-sama, everything is going well." the Droid reported.

"That's nice, but what about taking care of the frozen people back in the warehouse?" Beruche posted the problem at hand.

"I'm terribly sorry!" Nipasu gasped.

"If you don't work hard, maybe I should get rid of you along with those in the warehouse." Beruche threatened.

"No, I will take care of of them right away. Please do not worry." the Droid assured her.

"Are you sure? That's too bad." Beruche mocked. "If it gets too hard, just let me know and I'll put you out of your misery."

"No, that will be unnecessary." Nipasu reassured.

"Okay. Then, take care." Beruche left the job to the Droid.

"Yes, my lady." Nipasu replied as the youngest of the Sister disappeared.

"Who's there?" she demanded, opening the warehouse door.

"I should be the one asking you that!" Minako retorted, appearing with Luna as the frozen people appeared behind them. "What are you going to do with these frozen people?"

"So you saw them." Nipasu grinned as an invisible wind blew around it. "Then I have no choice but to kill you!"

"Nipasu!" she declared, returning to her original form in a whirlwind of snow.

Minako jumped to avoid the icy wind.

"Luna!" she gasped at the frozen cat, before jumping behind a stack of boxes.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Man, that's the eighth bus already." Usagi complained as the group missed another bus .

"This is getting to be a little too late." Makoto noted.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Rei mused.

"Everyone, we have a new enemy!" Minako reported over Usagi's communicator. "I'm at Bob-Floy's in the Juuban Shopping District!"

"Let's go!" Rei told the group.

"Okay!" Usagi agreed. "Oh.. but what about Ami's send-off? I was going to give this to her."

"Do you want me to deliver it to her for you?" Chibi-Usa offered.

"Chibi-Usa..." Usagi turned to the girl.

"I'll give it to Ami for you." Chibi-Usa added.

"Then, please." Usagi was about to hand over the package and Mamoru took it out of her hands.

"I'll take care of it." the reincarnated Earth Prince replied.

"Mamo..." Usagi muttered.

"Chibi-Usa, hop in!" Mamoru got into his car.

"Okay." Chibi-Usa nodded and got in, Luna-P in tow.

"Okay, let's go." Rei told Usagi after the two drove off.

"Okay..." Usagi replied.

* * *

Meanwhile in the warehouse...

"Where did she go?" Nipasu fumed.

"There!" she blew her icy attack in the direction of the dropping sound.

"Where are you aiming?" Sailor Moon asked, the rest of the Senshi group appearing before the Droid. "Girls love ice cream! How dare you use it in your evil plot? We can't allow you get away with it anymore! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"You impertinent brats!" the Droid growled, sending a gust of cold air at the Senshi jumping down to face it.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Ami had stepped out of the taxi, the song, 'Rainy Day Man' sounded in the background, as Mamoru drove to the airport.

* * *

In the warehouse...

"It's cold!" Sailor Moon whined as the Senshi hid behind a stack of frozen boxes, Nipasu's attack raining on them relentlessly.

"I think this is colder than the North Pole!" Sailor Venus added.

"We have to do something!" Sailor Mars remarked.

* * *

In the airport...

"Ami." Chibi-Usa voiced, the father-daughter pair having arrived in the nick of time.

"Mamoru and Chibi-Usa?" Ami blinked, turning away from the window of the departure hall.

"Luna-P! Magic!" Chibi-Usa tossed her toy into the air.

"Here, this is for you." she offered the candy cane to the genius.

"Thank you." Ami took the sweet which then turned into a flower in her hand.

"This is from Usagi and the others." Mamoru handed the package to her.

"From Usagi and others?" Ami echoed.

"I guess this is the kind of friendship you guys had." Chibi-Usa remarked.

"Aren't I right?" she pressed at Ami's startled expression. "I mean, it's weird they didn't even show up to see you off!"

"That's because I asked them not to." Ami replied.

"That doesn't matter!" Chibi-Usa insisted as Ami took out the wrapped present from the package. "They always said they were your friends!"

"Usagi and the others are wonderful friends." Ami corrected.

"That's a lie!" Chibi-Usa protested. "In the end, they only care about themselves!"

Ami's eyes widened at the sight of her new henshin pen, communicator and a note that said 'No matter where you are, we're there with you.'

"There must be a reason for it." Ami noted.

"Something very important..." she echoed, picking her her henshin pen. "It can't be! It can't be!"

"Mamoru, it can't be!" she turned to the Earth Prince who merely nodded at her.

"Chibi-Usa, you were right." Ami admitted. "I was only thinking about myself."

* * *

Back in the warehouse...

"It's no use. It's too cold to use my powers." Sailor Jupiter remarked as Nipasu's attack rained against the wall they were hiding behind.

"We'll die if we don't do something." Sailor Mars added.

Meanwhile, Ami was hurrying back to the battlefield in Thomas' car, Mamoru and Chibi-Usa following closely behind in Mamoru's vehicle.

"Now, what are you going to do?" Nipasu mocked, the barrier having crumbled under its attack. "There's nowhere to go!"

"Time for the finishing move!" the Droid declared, bursting the revealed Senshi with her attack.

"I know what I need to say now." Ami noted as she hurried to the battlefield, having transferred the power of her Star henshin pen into her Millennium wand. "In the end, I'm still Sailor Mercury."

"Millennium Mercury Star Power, Make Up!" she called out her powered-up transformation, the Millennium wand having taken on a new form.

"Hold it right there!" Millennial Sailor Mercury declared.

"Sailor Mercury!" the Senshi gasped at the Senshi who had returned.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Millennial Sailor Mercury wasted no time in calling forth her Level Three attack.

"Mercury..." Sailor Moon gaped as Nipasu screamed when it was encased in an icy tornado.

"Now, Sailor Moon." Millennial Sailor Mercury told her.

"Okay." Sailor Moon nodded. "Moon Princess Elimination!"

The Droid crumbled into dust under the energy wave, the crystal on its forehead dropping onto the dust pile before turning black.

With the Droid gone, everyone who were frozen were unfrozen.

"Luna!" Artemis looked at the awakening black cat.

"I'm glad you're okay!" Luna beamed.

"Mercury! You're back!" the girls clustered around her.

"In the end, I just can't leave you guys." Millennial Sailor Mercury remarked, the girls stacking their hands into a hand pile.

* * *

After the battle...

"They got back together because of me, right?" Chibi-Usa boasted.

"That's right." Mamoru agreed.

"Ami, are you really okay? No regrets?" Usagi asked.

"When I study, it will be the same, no matter where I am." Ami told her. "I will study much harder and become a good doctor."

"I'm sure you will, Ami!" Usagi beamed.

"That's right!" Luna agreed. "Though, it's something Usagi could never do!"

"Luna!" Usagi glared at the sarcastic cat, the girls bursting into laughter a while later.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that is done, read and review. Can you guys believe I actually started crying in the middle of the 'Rainy Day Man' song?


	23. ARC 2: Rei’s New Killer Move

SailorStar9: Chapter 21 goes up. This is Chapter 22.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 22: Women Should Be Strong and Beautiful! Rei's New Killer Move

* * *

Time passes...

"Why have girls stopped coming recently?" Grandpa Hino sighed as he swept the temple.

"Who knows?" Yuichiro whispered.

"Here!" Rei handed a magazine to him.

"What's this?" Grandpa Hino blinked.

"Nanako magazine has an article on 'Watch out for the dirty old man at Hikawa Shrine'." Rei told him.

"What?" Grandpa Hino demanded, grabbing the magazine.

"What?" he exclaimed, finding the article. "It's true!"

"Grandpa, I hope you greatly regret your actions." Rei told him.

"No, I'll leave you in charge of the shrine now." Grandpa Hino replied.

"What?" Rei exclaimed.

"As of today, I will retire as a Shinto priest and pursue another profession!" Grandpa Hino declared.

"A shrine without any girls is like miso soup without the miso." he added, walking off.

* * *

In the Tsukino household...

_Good, good!_ Luna mused, noticing Usagi at the study table.

_I knew it._ She sweatdropped at the sleeping blond before panicking when Chibi-Usa tickled the blond.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Usagi demanded.

"Give me the Ginzuishou!" Chibi-Usa whined when Usagi grabbed her.

"There's no way you can beat me." Usagi grinned, turning the child over and smacking her on the backside.

_I wanna become stronger than Usagi!_ Chibi-Usa swore.

"That's right!" Usagi realized. "Rei asked me to work for her."

"I'm going to be strong..." Chibi-Usa mumbled after Usagi threw her off.

* * *

At the Hikawa Shrine...

"Mom..." a child looked up at his mother.

"How much is this?" another customer inquired, a crowd forming at the talisman booth.

"This outfit looks pretty cool!" Usagi beamed after Rei adjusted her priestess uniform.

"You look weird!" Chibi-Usa remarked.

"So what?" Usagi demanded.

"But we sure have a lot of customers today." Makoto noted.

"When there are so many beautiful shrine maidens, it's only natural to have more customers." Usagi told her.

"I can't believe that I can actually earn money while I practice math." Ami added, doing the accounts.

"Rei, please make sure you pay us well." Minako reminded the priestess.

"Don't worry; I will." Rei replied.

"By the way, what kind of job did your grandpa get?" Makoto asked.

"Well, he started something weird." Rei replied.

* * *

That evening...

Rei, Usagi and Chibi-Usa peered into the 'Protect Esthe' training hall. With a radio on the side, Grandpa Hino and Yuichiro warmed up.

"Hold it!" Grandpa Hino instructed, the two stopping in a pose before continuing.

"Hold it!" Grandpa Hino instructed, the two stopping in another pose as the trio outside sweatdropped.

"So that's Protect Esthe?" Usagi blinked.

"It's supposed to be a new sport," Rei told her. "That's a combination of self-defense and calisthenics. But this isn't something that should be done in a shrine."

"What did you say?" Grandpa Hino hollered, bursting out of the door.

"Stop it! It's embarrassing!" Rei chided. "Don't you feel sorry for Yuichiro, either?"

"Well... I don't mind..." Yuichiro replied.

"Are you trying to take away this old man's purpose in life?" Grandpa Hino fumed.

"Purpose in life?" Rei shot back. "You just want to flirt with girls, right?"

"Is it wrong?" Grandpa Hino challenged.

"It is wrong!" Rei insisted.

"Don't come crying to me when you get into trouble!" she broke off the glaring contest.

"What do you think?" Grandpa Hino looked at the two 'rabbits' after Rei stormed off. "Why don't you join Protect Esthe?"

"Grandpa, I..." Chibi-Usa started after Usagi took off.

"Wait a minute!" Usagi returned, grabbing Chibi-Usa and took off.

"What are you doing?" Chibi-Usa demanded as Usagi carried her away. "Let me go, Usagi!"

* * *

In the UFO...

"Rubeus-sama, where is Cooan?" Calaveras asked.

"She has already started her operation." Rubeus told her.

At Calaveras' confused look, he explained, "A new Crystal Point was discovered."

Revealing the training hall, he added, "She said she would replace this building's Crystal Power with Dark Power. She was so excited."

"Why is Cooan the only one getting these assignments?" Calaveras fumed. "It isn't fair!"

"I don't think so." Rubeus objected, seeing the other two sisters' nods.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Come this way and take a look at this!" Grandpa Hino was outside the Hikawa Shrine, trying to pull customers. "By joining Protect Esthe, anyone can become strong and beautiful!"

"So far, I have zeros students." he sighed after the girls avoided him. "Where in the world did Yuichiro go to recruit students? I can't depend on him."

"Do you want me to join?" Chibi-Usa beamed, having caught Grandpa Hino's attention with Luna-P.

_I was only to accept older girls,_ Grandpa Hino twitched. _But I guess it's better than have no one._

"Will I become strong?" Chibi-Usa pressed.

"Well, you want to become strong?" Grandpa Hino echoed.

"Yeah!" Chibi-Usa nodded.

_If I want to get the Ginzuishou from Usagi, I have to become stronger!_ The girl decided, envisioning that _she_ was the one smacking Usagi's backside.

"Master!" Yuichiro, dressed in a business suit, reported.

"Oh! Who are these girls?" Grandpa Hino turned his attention to the horde of girls behind the shrine apprentice.

"Look! I found all these students!" Yuichiro declared.

"That's my Yuichiro!" Grandpa Hino beamed. "I knew you were promising!"

* * *

That night...

Cooan entered the training hall through the roof.

"Dark Power!" she declared, landing in the middle of the boxing ring.

"Tomorrow will be something to look forward to." she grinned, her task complete.

* * *

The next morning...

"Good morning, Rei!" Usagi greeted the priestess who was cleaning the walkway.

"The greeting used during the day should be 'Hello!'." Rei corrected.

"Rei, you're in a bad mood!" Usagi realized.

"Rei, did something happen?" Luna asked on Usagi's shoulder.

"Yuichiro recruited a bunch of young girls!" Rei replied.

"Oh, I know. You're jealous!" Usagi teased as Rei took her anger out on the wash towel.

"It's not like that!" Rei protested at Usagi's and Luna's teasing grins.

"I know what's going on." Usagi replied.

"Are all the girls here now?" Grandpa Hino asked as he walked towards the training hall.

"Yes master! they're waiting for you!" Yuichiro replied.

"Good, good." Grandpa Hino nodded.

"Why do they have to do something so unnecessary?" Rei fumed, causing the two males to sweatdrop.

"Let's go and check it out!" Usagi remarked.

"I'm not interested." Rei pointed out.

"Don't say that." Usagi chided.

* * *

In the training hall...

"Hello!" Grandpa Hino greeted his students as he entered.

"Master, good morning!" the female students chorused.

"This is the life." Grandpa Hino's perverted self took over.

"This is what I've been looking for all these years!" he grinned, slapping each girl's palm as he traveled down the two rows of girls.

"With this many students, you'll need a female instructor; won't you?" Cooan asked.

"She's cute." Grandpa Hino swooned.

"We're good at martial arts. Would you let us have the job?" Cooan prodded.

"You're so cute!" Grandpa Hino drooled.

"Do it!" Cooan snapped her fingers, giving her Droid its instructions.

"Dumble!" the Droid replied.

"Please don't!" one of the female students wailed as the Droid approached her.

"Dumble!" the Droid slapped her into the ring.

"Please don't!" the student pleaded.

"Dumble!" the Droid entered the ring.

"Don't worry." Cooan assured the student. "She's just going to coach you in the art of Protect Esthe."

"Dumble!" the Droid responded by tossing the crying student into the air.

"So scary..." Usagi mumbled at the training.

_What is this evil aura?_ Rei gasped.

"Ta-da!" Chibi-Usa declared, appearing before them in her outfit.

"Now, practice, practice!" she announced, not noticing the sweatdropping girls.

"Don't!" Usagi panicked.

"Dumble!" the Droid tossed another student in the air, causing her to land on the ring floor.

"That looks painful.." Chibi-Usa grimaced.

"Usagi, I'll listen to you and quit now." she backed off. "Bye!"

"What's going on?" Usagi asked Rei after Chibi-Usa ran off.

"Dumble!" the Droid flung the student over its shoulders.

"I'll get you for that!" the student hissed, getting up.

"Good. That's the spirit." Cooan grinned as the Droid kicked the student away with its foot.

"Are you okay?" Grandpa Hino asked, freeing the student. "She's so violent."

"What do you think, master?" Cooan inquired. "Do you like the way we teach?"

"Well..." Grandpa Hino started.

"Wait!" Yuichiro voiced out.

"I am the coach!" he declared, with Usagi and Rei behind him.

"Yuichiro..." Grandpa Hino mumbled.

"Master, what are you going to do?" Cooan cooed.

"Now, master!" Yuchiro pressed.

"Grandpa!" Rei scolded.

"If I please her, I'll make him mad. And if I try to please him, ill make her mad." Grandpa Hino sweatdropped.

"Master!" Yuchiro insisted.

"Master!" Cooan cooed.

"Grandpa!" Rei chided. "You don't need to hesitate! Yuichiro has been very loyal to you, Grandpa! Or, are you going to betray Yuichiro?"

"That is not up to you to decide!" Cooan snapped.

"Master, what do you think?" she cooed.

"Master!" Yuichiro insisted.

"I pick her." Grandpa Hino pointed at Cooan.

"Master!" Yuichiro muttered.

"Grandpa!" Rei scolded.

"Grandpa, that's just mean!" Usagi agreed.

"Oh, it's all right." Yuichiro stopped them.

"Yuichiro..." Rei blinked as he walked off dejectedly.

"How dare you treat Yuichiro like that?" she stormed up to her grandfather. "I'm so disappointed in you!"

"You got a problem with that?" Grandpa Hino shot back.

* * *

Later, while on break...

"So, you had a fight with your grandpa." Minako remarked.

"Rei, I know how you feel." Makoto added. "Grandpa mistreated your beloved Yuichiro."

"That's not the problem." Rei replied, not correcting her.

"But I think the harder the problem, the more it's worth solving." Ami voiced over her books. "Like this problem, which took me three hours to solve."

"Excuse me..." Usagi muttered, the girls sweatdropping.

"By the way Rei, don't you think that coach was a bit weird?" she turned to the priestess.

"Yeah..." Rei replied as she prepared the tea.

"I wonder if Grandpa will be okay?" Usagi wondered.

"No matter what happens, I'm not responsible." Rei snapped.

"Oh Rei, you're so cool." Usagi joked.

"Oh! Hot!" Rei gasped, dropping the tea pot when the boiling water overflowed.

"Rei!" Usagi gasped.

"Oh, sorry." Rei cleaned up the mess.

"What's wrong?" Minako asked. "Rei, this isn't like you."

* * *

In the training hall...

"Dumble!" the Droid tossed another student into the air, the Dark Power Cooan infused into the ring the night before taking over the students' bodies as they stood back up and continued to fight.

_If I keep expanding the Dark Power, the future city of Crystal Tokyo will be destroyed._ Cooan grinned.

"What is this?" Grandpa Hino looked on in shock. "I wanted to do something more fun."

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" he ran forward to stop the fighting students. "Everyone, what's wrong with you?"

"Dumble!" the Droid took down its opponent with a elbow knock.

"The motto of Protect Esthe is 'Strength and Beauty'." Grandpa Hino reminded the warring students. "And as an added bonus, a little fun for me..."

"Shut up!" the girls chorused.

"What's wrong?" Grandpa Hino panicked as they cornered him.

"Die!" one of the students released a hand chop at him. Leaning against the ring wall, Grandpa Hino re-bounced back.

"There, there, there, there, there, and there." he noted, taking down the attacking girls with a punch in the gut each.

"That should do it." he declared, clapping his hands, the girls collapsing into the ground domino-style.

"Well done, master!" Cooan chuckled.

"Dumble, why don't you be his opponent?" she snapped her fingers.

"Dumble!" the Droid declared as it returned to its original form. "Dumble!"

"Use your ultimate technique, the Dumble Elbow Drop!" Cooan instructed, having returned to her original form.

"Dumble!" the Droid leapt down from one of the ring posts, aiming its bent elbow at the fallen Grandpa Hino.

Rei dived to save her grandfather, the attack hitting the back of her knee.

"Rei!" Grandpa Hino gasped at her wincing granddaughter.

"That's why I told you not to do this." Rei scolded.

"Why bring that up?" Grandpa Hino retorted. "You don't need to worry. I can take care of this myself!"

"Come on!" he challenged the Droid.

"Dumble!" the Droid responded by kicking him as Grandpa Hino dodged the attack easily.

Rei jumped in to shield her grandfather as the Droid's kick met its mark.

"Rei! Are you all right?" Grandpa Hino asked his injured granddaughter.

"Dumble!" the Droid then proceeded to stomp the pair.

"Rei! I didn't know you cared about me this much." Grandpa Hino looked as Rei took the blows for him.

"Of course!" Rei retorted. "You're the only grandpa I have."

"Rei..." Grandpa Hino mumbled.

"Dumble, the Double Lariat!" Cooan instructed.

The Droid responded by crossing its arms, charging up.

"Dumble!" it declared, uncrossing its arms and firing the energy beams at the grandfather-granddaughter pair.

Grandpa Hino pushed Rei aside, taking the attack for her.

"Oh! Rei and Grandpa!" Usagi gasped, running into the scene after Grandpa Hino passed out. "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"It's not over yet, Dumble." Cooan told her Droid.

"Cooan Dark Power Flip!" she declared, after the Droid tossed her into the air with a foot-step. Encased in her dark flames, Cooan dived down at the grandfather-granddaughter pair

Her descend was interrupted when Sailor Moon tossed her weapon at her.

"Who's trying to stop us?" she demanded.

"Crushing a naughty little grandpa's pleasure in life..." Sailor Moon declared, stepping out of the shadows. "You've gone too far! I am a Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Did you say something?" Cooan remarked as she powered her face, causing Sailor Moon to sweatdrop.

"Dumble, now!" Cooan turned to her Droid.

"Dumble!" the Droid fired its attack at Sailor Moon. The energy attack was stopped by a whirling rose which then landed on the ground.

"Tuxdeo Kaman-sama..." Sailor Moon blinked.

"Training yourself to be strong is good, but I hope you do not lose your gracefulness." Tuxdeo Kaman remarked.

"Dumble!" the Droid leapt to face off with its new opponent.

Tuxdeo Kaman met its kick in mid-air.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" he told her.

"Right!" Sailor Moon nodded.

"Moon Princess Elimination!"she fired her attack, causing the Droid to crumble into dust, the crystal on its forehead turning black as it dropped onto the dust pile.

"Oh no! I got a botch!" Cooan exclaimed, finding an imperfection on her face.

"You will pay dearly for what you've done to my skin!" she growled at Sailor Moon.

"Dark Fire!" she released her flame attack at Sailor Moon who ducked the flames. The fire burst through the wall, as Sailor Moon fled through the hole.

"How dare you do this to my grandpa?" Rei hissed in anger.

"Grandpa..." she laid her unconscious grandfather on the ring floor. "I will avenge you."

"Mars Star Power, Make Up!" she transformed.

* * *

Outside...

"Dark Fire!" Cooan fired her attack at Sailor Moon when Sailor Moon pushed the Moon Senshi out of the way.

"It's my turn now!" Sailor Mars looked at her Dark Moon counterpart.

"Fire Soul!" she fired her fireball which Cooan countered with her Dark Fire attack. The two flame attacks met mid-way, unmatched for a while, until Cooan's flames pushed Sailor Mars' attack back.

"Watch out!" Sailor Moon exclaimed.

"Stop!" Tuxdeo Kaman stopped her. "Don't worry; Mars will be okay."

"How dare you..." Sailor Mars growled. "How dare you? How dare you do that to Grandpa?"

"Burning Mandala!" she unleashed her Level Three attack, the fire rings cutting through Cooan's attack. Rushing past the Dark Moon sister, the flame rings set her skirt on fire.

"My precious dress!" Cooan hurried to put out the fire as she disappeared.

"I did it!" Sailor Mars sighed in relief.

"I wonder if I should join Protect Esthe to become a strong, pretty girl?" Sailor Moon wondered outloud.

Tuxdeo Kaman was then struck by another vision of Princess Serenity crumbling the the ruins of a demolished crystal city.

"So whatever you want. It is none of my business." he replied coldly.

"No way..." Sailor Moon gasped as Tuxdeo Kaman walked off.

_Sorry, Usako._ Tuxdeo Kaman conveyed his mental apologies.

"He showed up to rescue you." Sailor Mars pointed out, soothing a dejected Sailor Moon. "That's proof that he worries about you."

"Yeah..." Sailor Moon nodded.

* * *

The next day...

"What? So Grandpa stopped doing Protect Esthe?" Usagi exclaimed.

"Instead, this time he's started Protect Jazz Dance!" Rei retorted.

"Huh?" Usagi was confused as she, Rei and Luna peered into the training hall.

"This doesn't hurt at all!" Chibi-Usa beamed as she danced with Grandpa Hino and Yuichiro inside the wrestling ring.

"Master needs me with him afterall!" Yuichiro smiled broadly.

"I can't wait for the girls to show up!" Grandpa Hino grinned, causing the three outside to sweatdrop.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	24. ARC 2: ChibiUsa’s Secret

SailorStar9: Chapter 22 goes up. This is Chapter 23.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 23: In Search of the Ginzuishou! Chibi-Usa's Secret

* * *

Time passes, in the UFO...

"It's so hot." Beruche complained, fanning herself.

"What do you think of this lipstick?" Petz asked her younger sisters, "I'm thinking about bringing the color of the dead into fashion this summer."

"Black is the color of darkness." Beruche noted. "It is the color of funeral mourning clothes. Black is the color sprinkled with taint."

"And?" Petz pressed..

"It looks wonderful." Beruche chuckled.

"With this ribbon, I'll bewitch the men and make them wait on me." Calaveras remarked.

"Gold is too glaring." Cooan mocked. "And dear Calaveras-onee-san, your mascara is too thick. I think you should reconsider your makeup a little."

"Cooan, don't be so impertinent. You're the youngest. "Calaveras shot back. "And what's with your outfit in this hot weather? Are you hiding your skin with your clothes because it's irritated?"

"You're terrible! Calaveras, you are so mean!" Cooan retorted.

"Stop this sibling's squabble." Rubeus intervened. "We have no time to waste on fashion talk. I came up with a good idea to lure the Rabbit out."

"What is it?" the Sisters asked.

"If I remember correctly, the Rabbit absolutely hates thunder." Rubeus grinned.

"I understand." Petz replied. "If there is thunder rumbling and lightning flashing, in her terror, she will unleash her energy."

"Exactly." Rubeus replied.

"I have to perfect Droid among my minions." Petz told him. "Allow me, Petz, to take care of this."

* * *

Outside...

A dark cloud circled Tokyo Tower as Petz appearing within the cloud.

"Come forth, Droid Furaiki!" she instructed, pressing a finger on the inverted crescent moon on her forehead to summon her Droid.

"Furaiki!" the Droid appeared at her command.

"Rumbling thunder and flashing lightning. Make thunderbolts rain down on the Juuban area!" Petz instructed.

"Boom!" the Droid declared, using it drum to create lightning and thunder. "Flash, flash!"

"Blow wind blow!" it cast a strong gust of wind with its hairdryer. As lightning and thunder crackled across the sky.

"Oh, why did it suddenly have to start raining?" Usagi complained, running home in the thunderstorm.

Then, she screamed and scurried back home as thunder cracked across the sky.

"Mom! Mom!" she called out , returning home and shaking the rain from her shoes. "Mom!"

"She's not here." Luna informed her.

"Why? Why?" Usagi pressed.

"Don't you remember what she said during breakfast?" Luna reminded her.

At Usagi's confused expression, the cat added, "You mom is out shopping with her friends. She said she might be late coming home this evening, remember?"

"D'oh!" Usagi exclaimed.

"Then Luna, get me a towel. I'm drenched!" she told the cat. "This is how a real drenching beauty looks! Get it?"

"Hey, hey. This isn't the time to crack stupid jokes." Luna deathpanned. "Grab your raingear and go to the elementary school right away!"

"Huh? Why?" Usagi asked.

"Chibi-Usa still hasn't come back from her swimming class." Luna reminded her.

"No way!" Usagi wailed as thunder crackled across the sky. "I absolutely hate thunder!"

"I don't wanna go outside! Don't wanna! Don't wanna! Don't wanna!' she whined.

* * *

Meanwhile in the elementary school hall...

"Mom is late." Kaoru remarked.

Lightning flashed and thunder cracked across the sky and the three children screamed in fear as they huddled together.

"Be strong, you two." Chibi-Usa tried to calm her two classmates down as the girl started crying.

"Kaoru, I'm sorry I'm late." Kaoru's mother entered the waiting hall.

"Mom, mom, mom! You're late!" Kaoru ran towards her mother and hugged her.

"You're a boy, aren't you?" Chibi-Usa asked the wailing Yoshio as they waited on the stairs. "Don't cry."

"But..." Yoshio replied.

"Hey Yoshio, you'll be late for cram school!" Yoshio's father pulled in in front of the school gate in his van.

"Dad!" Yoshio ran towards his father.

Left alone now, Chibi-Usa sniffled, hugging Luna-P tightly as thunder cracked across the sky.

"Mom, since it's raining, buy me a tadpole." a boy passing by requested.

"A tadpole?" his mother echoed. "Why don't we ask your Dad and see?"

"Mom... Dad..." Chibi-Usa mumbled.

Unable to hold back her tears, she ran out of the school yard.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Mr. Lightning, please don't flash. Mr. Thunder, please don't rumble." Usagi chanted as she hurried towards the school before shrieking as lightning and thunder cracked across the sky.

"Chibi-Usa! Chibi-Usa!" she called out, entering the waiting hall. Unknownst to her, Chibi-Usa had ran off in the rain.

"That's strange." she noted, seeing the hall was empty. ""I wonder if she went home?"

* * *

In the Tsukino household...

"Oh, be quiet!" Shingo scolded the ringing telephone in the amidst of his game.

"Crud!" he sighed when he realized his character had died.

"Hello, Tsukino residence." he answered the phone. "Oh, it's you, stupid Usagi! What do you want?"

* * *

"What? She's not back yet?" Usagi blinked at a pay-phone. "I've already looked for her for over twenty minutes. But she wasn't anywhere in the school. I figured she'd gone home long ago."

"If she hasn't come back, then she hasn't come back!" Shingo shot back. "Poor little Chibi-Usa's out there. Make sure you find her."

"I can't believe you, Shingo!" Usagi scolded the receiver once Shingo hanged up the phone.

"Chibi-Usa..." she mumbled. "Where... where have you gone?"

* * *

Later...

"Oh!" Usagi exclaimed, bumping into Mamoru around a corner. "Oh!"

"I'm sorry!" she apologized. "Oh, Mamo..."

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Mamoru asked.

"Chibi-Usa is missing!" Usagi told him.

"What? Chibi-Usa is?" Mamoru blinked.

Usagi shrieked as lighting and thunder cracked across the sky, pulling herself onto Mamoru's body.

"Mamo..." she mumbled, safe in his arms.

"Usako..." Mamoru muttered, before letting her go.

"Stop it." he told her. "Like I said before, I don't want to go out with you anymore."

"Mamo..." Usagi muttered.

"Never mind that; we have to hurry and find Chibi-Usa!" Mamoru told her.

"You'll help me look for her?" Usagi asked.

"Of course!" Mamoru replied.

"You're so cold towards me, but when it comes to Chibi-Usa,you're so serious." Usagi remarked, turning away.

"A small child is missing!" Mamoru reminded her. "she must be so scared and lonely in this sudden storm. Of course, I'm worried! Don't just stand there! Let's go!"

"Okay!" Usagi took off after him.

_Mamo's such a kind person._ She thought. _No matter how coldly you treat me, I still love you, Mamo. Mamo..._

* * *

In a tea shop opposite the road...

"Hey, I thought they were having a fight," Makoto remarked, watching the scene unfold. "But they look like they're getting along pretty well."

"You're right." Ami agreed. "But if she has the time to run in the rain, I think she should study." causing Makoto to sweatdrop.

"Oh, Ami and Mako." Rei remarked, as she and Minako entered the shop.

"Hey, what's up? Coming together here like this..." Makoto noted.

"I was trying to take shelter from the rain, when I just happened to bump into Minako." Rei replied.

"Same with us." Ami remarked. "I was thinking about reviewing English, math, Japanese, social sciences and science until the rain stopped, then..."

"We just ran into each other." Makoto sweatdropped with the other two.

"Aren't coincidences strange?" Minako smiled, taking a seat beside Makoto.

"I guess in the end, we all think alike." Rei smiled, taking the seat beside Ami.

"Even though someone is missing,." Minako added.

"Oh, Usagi's a good-for-nothing, so she's an exception." Rei remarked, causing everyone else to sweatdrop. "An exception. Right, everyone?"

* * *

Unknown to the girls, Chibi-Usa was hiding beneath the store.

"Mom, I'm hungry." a child passing by whined.

"Do you want me to make you some pancakes then?" her mother asked.

"How about pudding?" the child asked.

"Okay, sure." the girl's mother replied.

Pressing Luna-P's nose Chibi-Usa connected to Sailor Pluto, the Time Senshi's fuzzy image appearing in Luna-P's right eye.

"Puu, I want to go back to where mom is." Chibi-Usa told the Time Guardian.

"You must not be so weak." Sailor Pluto scolded.

"Puu, I want to use this key," Chibi-Usa revealed her Time Key. "And go back to where Mom and everybody else are."

"It is true that the key will allow you to travel through time," Sailor Pluto remarked. "But it is dangerous to use it thoughtlessly."

"Dangerous?" Chibi-Usa echoed. "But I want to go back."

"I know it must be tough for you," Sailor Pluto added. "But we need the Ginzuishou in order to save your mom. Hang in there a little longer in this world. One day, the bad guys will be destroyed and a time of happiness will come. Until then, you must bear with it. Do you understand?"

"Puu! Puu!" Chibi-Usa called out as Sailor Pluto's image disappeared. "Puu!"

The four Planetary Senshi gasped as lightning crackled across the sky; Mamoru and Usagi stopped in their tracks.

"I still want to go home anyway!" Chibi-Usa cried, running out and gripping the Time Key. The said key burst into full light as thin streaks of rainbow-colored light encased the entire shopping center, the key causing the surrounding gravitational pull to be distorted.

"What is this?" Rei gasped, the colored lights reaching the four girls.

"A lightning strike?" Makoto inquired.

"Oh no! My textbooks!" Ami hurriedly packed up her books.

"What the..." Makoto blinked after a sudden burst of energy, the girls finding themselves floating in the air.

"What is this?" Rei demanded.

"Oh, you pervert!" Minako scolded as Rei's head came under her dress.

"It's a strange physical phenomenon." Ami noted. "The only think I can think of is that we've lost Earth's gravity, but it's normal outside."

"This is just getting more and more mysterious." she smiled.

"Ami, this isn't the time for such complicated topics." Minako scolded.

"Oh no! I'm so embarrassed to be in this shape!" Rei complained.

"I'm getting down! I will get down to the ground!" Makoto promised, 'swimming' towards the floor.

"No! What is this?" Chibi-Usa whined, floating upwards as her plan backfired. "I can't get back to where Mom and Dad are!"

Bursting out crying, she unleashed her power as the crescent moon mark appeared on her forehead.

"I've found you, Rabbit." Petz grinned, seeing the sudden burst of light.

"Boom, boom, boom!" the Droid thumped on its drum. "Boom, boom, boom, boom!"

"It's Chibi-Usa's energy!" Usagi gasped.

"What's going on" Chibi-Usa asked, letting off crying.

"Boom, boom, boom! Flash!" the Droid broke in through the window, releasing its lightning at the child.

Chibi-Usa squealed, dodging the attack and headed upstairs just as Usagi rushed into the building.

"Chibi-Usa!" the blond exclaimed, the Droid raining its attacks at the defenseless child, only to be caught in the lack of gravity pull.

"Chibi-Usa?" Rei blinked as the child entered the shop.

"A Droid!" the girls gasped as the said Droid followed the child.

"Blow, wind! Blow!" the Droid revealed its hairdryer, blowing everyone away in a gust of wind.

"Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!" Usagi transformed, seeing that everyone were knocked unconscious against a wall.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" the Droid declared. "Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

"Stop right there!" Sailor Moon announced before the Droid could release its charged up attack.

"Who are you?"" Chibi-Usa asked.

"I'm a Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Moon!" the Moon Senshi declared. "So, you're the one responsible for the sudden rain and thunder! The scariest things are earthquakes, thunder, fires and Droids! How dare you disturb a peaceful town and terrorize little children? It's unforgivable! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Blow, wind. Blow!" Furaiki used its hairdryer to blow Sailor Moon away.

"Sailor Moon!" Rei gasped, the Moon Senshi landing heavily against a wall.

"Hang in there, Sailor Moon!" Chibi-Usa cheered.

"Why you!" Sailor Moon growled.

"Boom! Flash!" the Droid released its lightning attack.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!" Sailor Moon exclaimed as she was struck by the lightning.

"I feel numb." she remarked.

"Oh no! She's gonna get killed!" Minako exclaimed as the Droid closed in.

Just then, a rose cut in, poking a hole through the drum and electrocuting the Droid.

"Bibibibibibi! Furaiki!" the Droid cried as its attack hit back on it.

"Sailor Moon." Tuxedo Kaman told the Moon Senshi.

"Tuxedo Kaman-sama!" Sailor Moon beamed.

"Tuxedo Kaman?" Chibi-Usa echoed.

"The drum is a percussion instrument." Tuxedo Kaman turned to the Droid. "If used correctly, it can touch people's hearts. But you have used it as a weapon. You are a disgrace as a musician!"

Revealing four more roses between his fingers, he added, "If you are going to play a drum anyway, play the cheerful tune of a traditional Japanese dance or something!"

" Furai, furai, furaiki!" the Droid skipped back to avoid the roses thrown at it.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kaman told the Senshi.

"Thank you, Tuxedo Kaman!" Sailor Moon replied. "Moon Princess Elimination!"

The Droid was thrown out of the window when the attack washed over it. Turning into dust, the jewel on its forehead turned black in mid-air and Petz caught the gem in her palm.

"Rabbit..." the oldest of the Ayakashi Sisters growled.

"Petz, it looks like you've failed." Beruche mocked, appearing beside her.

"Shut up!" Petz scolded.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Beruche asked.

"I don't want to fight in a strange place like that." Petz remarked, looking at the gravity-less building. "I will withdraw for today."

"Oh, wait for me, Petz!" Beruche called, disappearing along with her sister.

"Excellent work as always, Sailor Moon." Tuxedo Kaman praised.

"Oh, Tuxedo Kaman!" Sailor Moon gasped as the tuxedo-clad hero slipped on a can.

"Just what is going on here?" she wondered outloud.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault." Chibi-Usa apologized.

"What? Chibi-Usa, you caused this?" Ami blinked.

"Yeah, I'm sorry." Chibi-Usa nodded.

Taking out the Time Key, she restored the gravitational pull of the building.

The four Planetary Senshi screamed as they crashed to the ground when the gravity was restored.

"Ouch!" Minako winced. "Mako, you're heavy."

"Hey, what the heck is this?" Makoto asked, pulling at Chibi-Usa's Time Key once everyone detangled themselves.

"Let go! I just wanted to go home!" Chibi-Usa whined.

"Go back? Home?" Rei echoed. "Where is that?"

The place where my mom and everyone else are!" Chibi-Usa retorted.

"Where are your mom and everyone else?" Ami inquired.

"Where did you come from?" Makoto pressed at Chibi-Usa's downcast expression.

"No! Let me go!" Chibi-Usa tugged against the Jovian Senshi's hold.

"If you tell me honestly, I'll help you." Sailor Moon offered. "Come one, please tell me."

"We need to Ginzuishou in order to save your mom." Sailor Pluto's words echoed in Chibi-Usa's mind. "Hang in there a little longer in this world."

"Chibi-Usa, come on, please talk to us." Minako prodded.

"We'll protect you and..." Makoto promised.

"I think that's enough." Tuxedo Kaman stopped the girls. "Everyone has things that they don't want to talk about."

"But.." Sailor Moon protested.

"Tuxedo Kaman-sama!" Chibi-Usa broke free of Makoto's hold and ran towards the tuxedo-clad hero. The tuxedo-clad man covered the child within his cape.

"Oh, honestly!" Sailor Moon fumed at the tender scene.

"Tuxedo Kaman-sama.." Chibi-Usa muttered in his arms.

"Rain, rain, fall, fall, rain even more." she sang, the two headed back to the Tsukino household. "It's so nice to be with Tuxedo Kaman-sama!"

"She monopolizing my Tuxedo Kaman-sama!" Usagi whined.

"Splatter, splash, splatter, plash, la, la, la!" Chibi-Usa sang as the two crossed the bridge.

"But I guess, it's all right." Usagi relented.

"Oh, look look, Tuxedo Kaman-sama! There's a big rainbow!" Chibi-Usa beamed as she watched the rainbow form on the bridge.

"Wow! It's beautiful!" Usagi awed at the rainbow.

Ami smiled as she looked on at Tuxedo Kaman holding onto Chibi-Usa's hand, a flash of recognition came across her mind.

_That smile... and expression..._ she wondered. _It's the same way __Koroudo__ used to look at Eos__ and Aurora. Could it be..._

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	25. ARC 2: Minako and Mako Face Off

SailorStar9: Chapter 23 goes up. This is Chapter 24.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 24: Dispute Over Love! Minako and Mako Face Off

* * *

Time passes...

"Isn't there anything that can be done about this heat?" Minako complained on a bench in the park.

"I can't believe everyone is flirting in this hot weather!" she whined, looking at the couples around her.

"I wish everyone would get here soon." she sighed, stretching.

"Minako!" Makoto called out.

"I'm so sorry!" she apologized upon reaching the blonde.

"Mako, you're late. Minako remarked.

"Oh, you're mad." Makoto noted.

"Don't get so grouchy just because I'm a little late!" she added, taking a seat beside Minako.

"I'm not grouchy." Minako protested.

"Then, are you jealous of those couples in the park?" Makoto asked.

"No, I'm not!" Minako snapped.

"I'm must kidding!" Makoto joked. "Minako, you're so cute!"

"Ami can't come after all." she added. "Summer classes, as usual."

"Rei has to work as a shrine maiden too." Minako remarked.

"What?" Makoto whined. "I thought it'd be nice to go shopping with everyone for once. So, what about Usagi?"

"Do you really expect her to show up on time?" Minako asked.

"You're right!" Makoto agreed, the two girl burst into laughter.

* * *

Some time later...

"Usagi is so late." Makoto complained.

"That girl is just hopeless." Minako agreed.

"Oh?" she then noticed Chibi-Usa strolling in the park with two boys.

"Chibi-Usa, where are you going, looking all snooty?" one of the boys asked.

"Hey, where you are going, dumpling?" another boy asked.

"Are you trying to hit on me?" Chibi-Usa asked. "You guys are so immature. That's why all the girls in class make fun of you guys!"

"What?" the first boy growled. "What did you say?"

"I'm gonna make you cry." the second boy picked Chibi-Usa up.

_He might be kinda of scary..._ Chibi-Usa sweatdropped.

"Hey!" Minako called. "Should you be doing that?"

"Oh, excuse me!" the two boys laughed nervously and ran off.

"Bullying a transfer student is really low." Makoto remarked.

"Don't let it bother you." Minako told the pink-haired girl. "Boys tend to tease the girls they like instead of being nice to them."

"Like her?" Makoto echoed. "They were just bullying her. Minako, you're such a romantic."

"Is that what you think?" Minako shot back. "Then, what about you, Makoto? I think you're too defensive towards boys."

"Me?" Makoto echoed. "How come?"

"Because you're always looking for someone similar to your senior who broke your heart." Minako replied. "I don't think you're looking for true love!"

"I'm always serious." Makoto snapped. "What about you, then? Why don't you find a new love? Watching you as an outsider makes me sad."

"I'm already over him!" Minako insisted.

"Oh, really?" Makoto challenged.

"Excuse me..." Chibi-Usa interrupted their fight.

"I don't care about those two." she added. "Because, I'm going to marry Mamo!"

"What did you say?" Usagi fumed. "I dare you to say that again!"

"Like I said, I'm going to be Mamo's bride..." Chibi-Usa was unable to finish her sentence when Usagi tackled her.

"Don't call him "Mamo' like you're close to him!" Usagi scolded.

"You the one who got dumped!" Chibi-Usa reminded her.

"Hey, shut up! Shut up!" Usagi screamed.

"Why are they always like that?" Minako sweatdropped.

"I will not! Because it's the truth!" Chibi-Usa snapped.

"Anyway, I want you to take that back what you just said." Makoto told the Venusian Senshi.

"A kid like you will never understand!" Usagi shouted.

"Then, will you stop obsessing about your senior?" Minako challenged.

"You're the one who's obsessed, Minako!" Makoto snapped.

"No, it's you, Mako!" Minako insisted.

"No, it's you, Minako!" Makoto shot back.

"It's you, Mako!" Minako retorted.

"It's you, Minako!" Makoto insisted.

"Hey, Chibi-Usa!" Usagi whined when the pink-haired girl pulled on her pig-tails.

"It's you, Mako!" Minako snapped.

"It's you, Minako!" Makoto retorted, breaking up the 'Rabbits' fight.

"What's wrong?" Usagi asked, Chibi-Usa jumping off her shoulder.

"If you can't get over being dumped, you three must really be getting old!" Chibi-Usa teased.

"She's so not cute!" Minako and Makoto muttered.

* * *

In the UFO...

"How long do we have to stay in this primitive world?" Petz complained. "They can't even control this weather."

"Dear, Petz-nee-chan, don't get so irritated." Calaveras chided. "Even if you go back to the future, you don't have anyone to wait for you anyway."

"Calaveras." Petz warned.

"Here we go again." Beruche giggled. "Two old maids bickering with each other."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Calaveras mocked. "I'm not saying you don't have any luck with men. I would never mention anything about getting dumped by men."

"Who cares about men?" Petz growled.

"What are you doing?" Rubeus stopped the squabbling.

"Rubeus-sama!" the four Sisters looked at him.

"How long we stay in this world depends on how well you perform." Rubeus told them. "I found another Crystal Point." and revealing the 'Fancy Charms Shop' in the viewing globe.

"What is this?" Petz asked.

"Oh, jewels!" Beruche beamed.

"They look cheap." Calaveras scoffed. "I wouldn't call those jewels."

"Human females think that their wishes will come true if they put a charm on these." Rubeus explained.

"It's absurd." Petz snorted. "What a primitive superstition."

"Calaveras, I assign you to this mission." Rubeus told her. "Replace the store's Crystal Power with Dark Power."

"Rubeus-sama." Calaveras looked at him. "I'm not interested in jewels unless they're the finest."

"Calaveras!" Petz scolded.

"Please find someone else for this mission." Calaveras replied.

"Wait, Calaveras!" Petz called, as Calaveras disappeared.

"Even if it's not worth doing," Calaveras sighed, reappearing on the space somewhere in the UFO. "It would still be bad to make Rubeus-sama angry."

"Jamanen." she summoned a wine glass, half fill with wine. The wine swirled within the glass before materializing into a blood-red Droid.

"I am here to serve." Jamanen told her.

"Jamanen, tell Rubeus-sama that I will accept this assignment." Calaveras remarked.

"You were a little late, Calaveras." Beruche told her.

"Beruche?" Calaveras looked at her.

"If you're thinking about that assignment," Beruche supplied. "Petz just went out to take care of it."

"What? Petz?" Calaveras echoed. "I will not let you to that."

"Come with me, Jamanen!" she ordered.

"Bye-bye!" Beruche grinned as the two took off.

* * *

On the streets...

"Both of you, can't you be friends again?" Usagi asked. "We're here to have fun shopping"

"I'm not upset about anything." Makoto retorted.

"Neither am I." Minako replied.

"You're both pretty upset." Luna concluded.

"Hey, watch where you're going!" Usagi fumed, after tripping onto something.

"Your wishes will come perfectly true." she read off the poster. "Charms House?"

"Come to think of it, I've heard of this place." Makoto noted. "They sell gems that make your wishes come true."

"Wishes?" Minako echoed.

"Okay everyone, let's go inside!" Usagi called.

"Oh Usagi." Minako sighed. "Shall we go in?"

"Sure." Makoto agreed, before remembering their previous argument.

Snorting, they turned their heads and walked in.

"Gems that make your wishes come true?" Chibi-Usa peered out from her hiding place. "The Ginzuishou?"

* * *

In the charms shop, having imprisoned the employees...

"If it's for wholehearted love, then amethysts." Petz concluded. "Diamonds are for love and courage."

"Their prices are significantly discounted." she greeted her customers.

"Wow." one o f the two female customers awed at the gems on display, picking up a red jewel. "It's so pretty."

"May he fall in love with me." she prayed on the gem.

"May he love me more than ever." her companion prayed on her jewel.

Once their prayers were said, the Dark power took over them.

"I hate... I hate him!" the second girl growled.

"I will never believe in love again!" her partner swore.

"Foolish girls." Petz chuckled. "When you wish upon these gems, the opposite will happen. And with greater intensity."

"Then, this place will be filled with Dark Power and no longer function as a barrier for Crystal Tokyo." Calaveras added.

"Wow! Look, look, Mako, Minako!" Usagi gushed over the gems on display. "They have a charm for good luck . Wow, they also have one for good grades. A charm to make you more beautiful?"

"What is this?" she looked at a jewel that caught her eye.

"It's so stupid." Luna sighed, the slot machine indicating that it produced charm juice. "Even kids nowadays won't fall for that."

Hey, now..." she sweatdropped when Usagi pulled out a 100 yen coin.

"These things are perfect for Usagi." Makoto remarked, before sweatdropping when she saw the said blond downing an entire bottle of charm juice.

"Usagi?" she blinked.

"You're gonna die!" Minako sweatdropped.

"Yummy!" Usagi grinned, finishing the bottle.

"Hey, now..." Luna sighed.

"Usagi, what kind of charm is that?" Minako asked.

"Is it like, if you chug down that juice, your love will be fulfilled?" Makoto inquired.

"Burp." Usagi burped.

"Welcome." Petz appeared behind them.

"If you're looking for a love charm, there is a special section for them in the back." Calaveras suggested. "Please come this way."

"Wow! It's amazing!" Usagi gushed after seeing the displayed gems.

"These will make your wishes come true." Petz offered.

"Then, I can win back my old boyfriend's heart, too?" Usagi asked.

"Of course!" Petz replied, smiling.

"For someone who wants to get her old boyfriend back," she added, searching for another gem. "I will recommend this gem. It's discounted."

"Wow!" Usagi beamed as Petz placed the box before her. "So, this is the gem that'll get his love back."

"Mako, Minako." she deathpanned, the two girls grabbing the box.

"Oh please!" Minako chided, the two removing their hands. "I'm not obsessed with my old love at all!"

"Neither am I!" Makoto managed a blush.

Aside, Petz and Calaveras chuckled.

******************************************************************************************

Outside the shop...

"I can't see." Chibi-Usa peered into the store. "What are they doing?"

"Don't move. Raise your hands!" Mamoru instructed behind her.

"Mamo!" Chibi-Usa gasped at the grinning Mamoru who was using his hand as a gun.

"What are you doing here?" Mamoru asked

* * *

In the store...

"I want all of this," Usagi exclaimed. "But I don't have enough money."

"Ladies, have you made up your minds?" Calaveras asked Makoto and Minako.

"Mako, I think the senior who dumped you wasn't good at judging girls." Minako admitted.

"Huh?" Usagi blinked.

"Dumped?" Petz twitched.

"If you want to criticize him, I don't want to hear it!" Makoto snapped.

"That's not what I meant." Minako protested. "I just want you to find a wonderful love! Because you're my good friend."

"Minako..." Makoto gasped.

"I'm already over him." she assured her.

"That's right." Petz agreed.

"What?" the three teens blinked.

"He really was a nice guy." Makoto replied, after Petz cleared her throat to diffuse the tension. "That's why I can't help but wanting to look for somebody better than him."

"Mako..." Minako muttered.

"All right." she smiled. "Then, I'll find somebody even better than Allan too!"

"Of course, for Usagi, I'm sure it has to be Mamoru." Makoto smiled at the other blonde.

"Of course!" Usagi held out a victory sign.

"Mamo is mine!" Chibi-Usa retorted.

"Mamo!" Usagi turned to see Mamoru entering the back room. "The charm really worked!"

"Usako..." Mamoru muttered.

"Let's go, Mamo!" Chibi-Usa tugged on his arm. "I feel like eating ice cream."

"Sorry, I have something else to do." Mamoru told her. "So just hang out with them today."

"Mamo!" Usagi gasped when Mamoru walked out.

* * *

Outside the store...

"It looks like I'm destined to meet Usako no matter what." Mamoru remarked.

"I think everyone should be around here." Ami noted, as she and Rei walked on the passageway across the store.

"It'll be such a waste of time if I don't find them." Rei remarked. "I let my part-time job early for this."

* * *

In the store...

"Usagi, it's your fault!" Chibi-Usa fumed. "Mamo left because of you! You stupid Usagi!"

"Hey, shut up!" Usagi protested. "Why do you always have to bug me when I'm feeling sentimental? He left because you're a spoilt, demanding brat!"

"You're wrong!" Chibi-Usa snapped. ""It's because you said something weird!"

"It's your fault!" Usagi shot back.

"No, it's your fault!" Chibi-Usa retorted.

"It's your fault!" Usagi rebuked.

"No, it's your fault!" Chibi-Usa insisted.

"Enough! Stop it!" Petz exploded.

"If we don't do something about them, our plan will stall." Calaveras remarked.

"Plan?" Minako echoed.

"Rubbish such has a wonderful romance or a new love!" Petz growled. "It's so stupid."

"Did you say love is stupid?" Makoto demanded.

"It is stupid." Petz smirked. "Just make a wish upon this gem, you'll forget everything an come to hate men."

"Usagi, be careful." Minako warned. "She doesn't seem to be an ordinary store clerk."

"Right." Usagi placed herself before Chibi-Usa.

"Jamanen!" Calaveras summoned her Droid.

"Excuse me." Jamanen appeared form the roof.

"Just as I thought, you're a Droid!" Usagi remarked, as Makoto and Minako jumped back to defend her

"Usagi, take care of Chibi-Usa!" Minako warned as Petz and Calaveras threw off their disguises.

"I'm not going anywhere with Usagi!" Chibi-Usa retorted.

"Now's not the time for that:! Usagi told her.

"You're not goin anywhere!" Calaveras grinned, blocking Usagi's escape.

"Rubbish about love and romance." Petz growled as she jumped in front of Makoto and Minako. "I'll kill you here and now, so you can't sprout such nonsense anymore!"

Makoto gasped when Jamanen appeared above them. The three girls leapt apart to avoid the Droid's hand jab.

"Usagi!" Makoto gasped when a grinning Calaveras approached the 'Rabbit' pair.

"I feel sorry for you, but you have to die." Calaveras revealed her whip.

"Hold it right there!" Minako snapped, spraying the fire extinguisher she found on the floor at the villains.

"How dare she?" Calaveras fumed, the girls sneaking off. "Where? Where did you go?"

"Luna!" Usagi looked at the cat who had jumped on the counter she was hiding behind.

"Usagi, over there." Luna pointed to a door with her paw.

"Right." Usagi nodded.

"I hope neither of us turns into man-haters like them." Makoto remarked,,d her back against Minako's

"Let's be careful." Minako replied.

"Let's do it!" Makoto nodded. "Jupiter Star Power, Make Up!"

"Venus Star Power, Make Up!" Minako transformed as well.

"Villains playing on young girls' feelings!" Sailor Jupiter declared.

"What?" Calaveras demanded.

"Loving the idea of falling in love is a young girl's prerogative!" Sailor Venus added. "In the name of Venus, the goddess of love, will punish you!"

"Who are you?" Calaveras growled.

"Sailor Jupiter!" Sailor Jupiter introduced herself.

"Sailor Venus!" Sailor Venus added. "When you ask for someone's name, you should introduce yourself first!"

"Cocky little brats!" Calaveras hissed.

"Among the beautiful four Ayakashi Sisters, I am Petz, the eldest and the most beautiful." Petz declared.

"All men are captivated by my beauty." Calaveras chuckled, cracking her whip. "More popular than my elder sister, I am the second of the four Ayakashi Sisters, Calaveras."

"What?" Petz growled, the two Senshi blinking in confusion.

"What's going on?" Sailor Jupiter sweatdropped.

"Looks like they don't get along every well." Sailor Venus remarked, sweatdropping.

"All of you, going on and on about love and romance..." Petz fumed, sending her 'Dark Thunder' at the two Senshi, causing them to jump apart. "Who cares about men?"

Sailor Venus skidded to a stop and flying kicked Calaveras who jumped to dodge the attack. Cracking her whip, she wrapped it around the Venusian Senshi's neck.

"Pitifully easy!" Calaveras grinned.

Petz sent her lightning attack at Sailor Jupiter who dodged the attack. The Jovian Senshi then dashed to punch Petz who avoided the onslaught easily. Coming to a stop, the Thunder Senshi screamed as she as trapped withing Jamanen's confines.

"Women become weak because they surrender themselves to love and depend on men." Petz remarked.

"You're wrong!" Sailor Jupiter objected. "Loving someone gives us more courage than anything else!"

"Oh, shut up!" Petz snapped, sending her thunder at the Jovian Senshi.

"Die!" she declared, electrocuting Sailor Jupiter.

"Burning Mandala!" Sailor Mars' fire rings freed the two Senshi.

"Mars! Mercury!" Sailor Venus beamed.

"Sailor Venus, let's show them!" Sailor Jupiter told her partner.

"Our power comes that comes from believing in love!" Sailor Venus agreed.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Sailor Jupiter formed a disc of thunder energy, sending it towards the two Sisters.

"Venus Love-Me Chain!" Sailor Venus summoned a chain formed of golden energy which swirled around her, then directed it at the Sisters.

"Imprudent brats!" Petz snapped, sending her thunder attack at Jupiter's energy as Calaveras countered Venus' chain when her whip.

"What?" the Sisters gasped, the attacks canceling each other out

"Calaveras, I think, for now..." Petz started, the two jumping back to avoid getting hit by the blast.

"Jamanen, take care of the rest!" Calaveras told her Droid.

"Allow me to handle them." Jamanen emerged from the ground.

"Sailor Senshi, I will remember this!" Petz swore.

"Wait!" Sailor Venus called, the two Sisters vanishing.

"I am your opponent now!" Jamanen told them, firing its solidified liquid at the Senshi.

* * *

After stuffing Chibi-Usa into a closet....

"I don't wanna stay here!" Chibi-Usa complained.

"Oho, just stay there. I'm busy right now!" Usagi chided outside the door.

"Usagi, transform now!" Luna told her.

"I got it." Usagi replied. "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

* * *

Outside...

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Sailor Mercury blasted her ice storm at the solidified liquid.

"Hold it right there!" Sailor Moon declared as Jamanen formed a sword with her hand to cut the ice.

"Mars, Mercury, what happened?" she blinked.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Mercury looked at the Moon Senshi.

"Hurry!" Sailor Mars urged.

"So, you're not even going to let me say my usual lines?" Sailor Moon complained, taking out her weapon.

"Moon Princess Elimination!" she fired her attack at the charging Droid.

"Ojama!" the Droid cried as the attack washed over as it crumbled into dust,he crystal on its forehead turning black as it dropped onto the dust pile.

Chibi-Usa had escaped from the closet as she looked on.

* * *

Later in a nearby cafe...

"I'm telling you! Don't do it, Usagi!" Rei warned.

"I'm going to drink this and meet Mamo again!" Usagi promised, drowning yet another bottle of charm juice.

"You're going to kill yourself, Usagi." Ami advised.

"As they say, 'Those born stupid, die stupid!'" Rei scoffed.

"Oh! You're saying mean things about me again!" Usagi fumed.

"But it's the truth, isn't it?" Rei remarked, before getting splashed on the face by Usagi's un-swallowed charm juice.

"Usagi!" Rei exploded.

"Sorry!" Usagi exclaimed.

"All right, put your face right back here so I can pay you back!" Rei hollered.

"That's why I'm apologizing!" Usagi replied.

"Excuse me, you're not allowed to bring in your own drink." the waitress reminded them.

"Nyah, Nyah, Nyah, Nyah, Nyah, Nyah!" the two girls chorused.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


	26. ARC 2: The Curry Triangle Relationship

SailorStar9: Chapter 24 goes up, this is Chapter 25. Read and review.

Disclaimers: I do not own the animes. But I _do_ own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 25: Usagi's Parenthood? The Curry Triangle Relationship

* * *

Time passes, in the Tsukino household...

"What? Why? You promised!" Chibi-Usa complained.

"I'm really sorry." Ikuko apologized

"But we have no choice." Kenji added.

"You know, kids get hurt when adults break promises." Shingo reminded.

"Yup, yup!" Chibi-Usa nodded in agreement.

"Mom, is dinner ready yet?" Usagi asked, peering through the curtain.

"Huh? What's going on? You look so serious." she asked.

"That's right! We have Usagi!" Kenji noted.

"We should ask Usagi to go!" Ikuko agreed.

"What?" Usagi blinked.

"The thing is, next Saturday, the kids in Chibi-Usa's class and their parents will be making curry together." Ikuko explained.

"But some urgent business came up that we have to go to..." Kenji added.

"So you want dependable, big sister, Usagi to go in your place, right?" Usagi beamed in conclusion.

"No!" Chibi-Usa snapped. "If Usagi is going, I'd rather no one goes!"

"Same here!" Usagi retorted. "I'm never interested in babysitting someone like you!"

"Usagi!" Ikuko scolded as Usagi stormed off.

* * *

That night...

"That's okay." Chibi-Usa looked at the stars on the balcony. "I don't care if no one goes. I'll be fine, even on my own."

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Hey, look! That ship is passing by!" Chibi-Usa gushed at a ship cruising by the window in a restaurant. "Look! That's the ocean, right?"_

* * *

"Mom, dad..." Chibi-Usa muttered.

"I want to have dinner with my mom and dad like everyone else!" she sobbed, hugging Luna-P.

* * *

"You're definitely wrong!" Luna scolded.

"Why?" Usagi challenged. "Chibi-Usa started the fight!"

"You really don't get it, do you?" Luna sighed. "Chibi-Usa is still in grade school, while you're in junior high. She's away from her mom and dad, while you're always with your parents. I can keep going."

"No, that's enough." Usagi remarked. "Oh, I know!"

"What is it?" Luna asked.

"I'm gonna get some rice crackers." Usagi exited the room, causing Luna to sweatdrop.

* * *

In the kitchen...

"I don't care if no one goes!" Chibi-Usa swore by the sink. "I'm not like stupid Usagi! I'm independent!"

"Oh, I spilled some rice!" she exclaimed when she drained the water after she washed the rice.

"Why can't I do it right, no matter how many times I try?" she sighed, taking the fallen rice clumps in her hand. "I don't believe this!"

"I can't do this! I can't!" she wailed. "Mom! Dad!"

"Chibi-Usa, what are you doing all by yourself?" Usagi asked, her conscious getting the best of her.

"Stupid Usagi, can't you see what I'm doing?" Chibi-Usa snapped. "I'm practicing making curry and rice."

"Hey, why don't we ask Mamo to come tomorrow?" Usagi suggested.

"What?" Chibi-Usa blinked.

"We'll ask him to come to the curry party with us." Usagi added. "All three of us. Then, it'll be okay, right?"

"But I wonder if he'd come?" Chibi-Usa asked.

"Well, it's okay if you don't want to come." Usagi shrugged. "I'll just go to Mamo's place by myself."

"Usagi, are you using me as an excuse to go?" Chibi-Usa challenged.

"What?" I won't do that!" Usagi protested. "Well, maybe a little..."

"I knew it." Chibi-Usa sighed.

* * *

The next day...

"Hello..." Usagi stammered when Mamoru opened the door.

"What is it?" Mamoru asked. "It's so early."

"Wait, I need to talk to you." Usagi stopped him from closing the door.

"I'm still sleepy." Mamoru replied.

"Mamo, I want to ask you a favor." Chibi-Usa poked her head out.

"Oh, you're here too?" Mamoru blinked at the child. "Come in."

"So, we'd like you to participate in the curry party tomorrow." Usagi requested after explaining the reason.

"It's too sudden." Mamoru replied. "I have to work tomorrow."

"Please don't say that." Usagi pleaded.

"No, it's okay." Chibi-Usa cut her off. "Sorry Mamo. We're asking for too much and not giving you enough time." Usagi really doesn't have any common sense."

"It's okay." Mamoru sighed. "I'll take care of my job somehow. But I don't know how to make curry and rice."

"Oh, that's all right." Chibi-Usa beamed. "We can ask Usagi to..."

"I guess that won't work.." she sighed after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"Come on, are you kidding?" Usagi fumed. "Okay then! I'll make you some authentic curry and rice." just leave it all to Chef Usagi!"

"You worry me." Mamoru sighed. "Anyway, why don't we try making some? I'll help too."

"Mamo!" Usagi beamed.

"If we screw up tomorrow, I'd feel sorry for Chibi-Usa." Mamoru remarked.

"Then, let's go." Chibi-Usa interjected.

"What?" Usagi blinked.

"To buy ingredients for curry and rice!" Chibi-Usa added.

"Oh, I don't think you should ask him for that so suddenly." Usagi remarked. "Why don't we go this evening? This evening?"

"I don't really mind." Mamoru replied.

"Well, I kind of have a lot of things to do..." Usagi commented.

* * *

In the UFO...

"Calaveras, what are you doing?" Petz asked, digging into her cake.

"Petz-neesan." Calaveras replied, applying three slices of cucumber onto her face. "They say that Earth people of this era take care of their skin like this. Why don't you try it too? Your skin will be nice and smooth and you'll be very popular with men."

"Men who judge women only by their appearances are scumbags." Petz snorted.

"But there's nothing wrong with being beautiful, Petz." Calaveras pointed out. "I know you were dumped, but continuing to act so prickly won't make you attractive at all."

"What did you say?" Petz demanded.

"Getting along is a beautiful thing." Rubeus cut in.

"Oh, Rubeus-sama!" Petz gasped.

"Another Crystal Point has been found." Rubeus informed them.

"Where is it?" Petz asked.

"This is the place." Rubeus materialized a holographic map, showing the Juuban Supermarket.

"I see." Calaveras realized what he was getting at.

"Rubeus-sama, let me handle this!" Petz requested.

"Oh, getting a headstart is not fair!" Calaveras complained, taking off after Petz.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"To make curry powder, you mix thirty to forty different spices." Ami read off the cookbook. "Add powdered nutmeg, cumin, cloves, gingers, cinnamon and..."

"Oh Ami, you can stop lecturing now!" Usagi sweatdropped.

"Here, Usagi! I recommend the 'Here, Curry!'" Rei showed the blond the book she brought.

"Hey, now." Usagi muttered as everyone sweatdropped.

"Usagi, why don't we start?" Makoto suggested.

"First, peel the carrots, onions and potatoes." she started off. "Then, chop them into little pieces."

"Wow." Usagi gushed.

"I want to do it!" Minako raised her hand. "Let me try!"

"I suppose I really should have a first-aid kit on standby, if Minako's cooking." Ami noted.

"Agreed." Rei nodded.

"You're going to cut yourself if you do it like that." Makoto warned as Minako took over.

"She just might be worse than me." Usagi added.

"It's okay as long as you're having fun." Minako remarked.

"I cut my finger." she mumbled after a while.

"Oh! Her finger is on the cutting board!" Usagi panicked.

"Call an ambulance! An ambulance!" Minako exclaimed.

"Minako, stay calm!" Usagi told her.

"What happened?" Ami and Rei chorused, Ami having a first-aid kit on standby.

"Ami, an ambulance! Ambulance!" Usagi panicked.

"We have to put it back together!" Makoto picked up the cut-off 'finger'. "Oh, this is just the end of a carrot. Are you bleeding?"

"Yes, just a little." Minako admitted.

"That's all?" the three girls sighed.

"Sorry..." Minako mumbled.

"Really, you overreacted so much." Usagi remarked.

"You were also making a big deal out of it." Luna sweatdropped.

"Then..." Usagi took over.

"Wow, you're so fast!" Luna noted as Usagi proceeded cutting.

"It's what you call talent." Usagi laughed.

"Usagi, are you serious about doing this?" Makoto asked, the camera panning out to reveal Usagi was cutting _nothing at all_.

* * *

"Let's see, I need to buy..." Usagi noted after the unfruitful cooking lesson. "Carrots, potatoes, onions and what else?"

"What about meat?" Chibi-Usa asked.

"Oh, that's right!" Usagi nodded.

_I'm glad I asked Mako for a crash course._ She mused.

"Wow! What a beautiful sunset!" she gushed.

"Let's go." Mamoru noted.

Chibi-Usa's eyes widened as she went into another flashback.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Dad..." Chibi-Usa looked at her father._

"_Mom..." she turned to her mother._

******************************************************************************************

Unconsciously, she raised her other hand to take Usagi's hand.

_No matter what she says, Chibi-Usa is still a kid._ Usagi mused. _Huh? What is this feeling? I feel so comfortable when I'm like this._

_Why do I feel so at peace when I'm like this?_ Mamoru wondered.

"Hey, it's a pretty nice scene." Luna noted.

"Hey Usagi!" Chibi-Usa withdrew her hand. "Don't hold my hand so familiarly!"

"What are you talking about?" Usagi fumed. "You're the one who grabbed my hand first!"

"Liar, liar." Chibi-Usa retorted.

"Chibi-Usa, you're the liar, liar, liar!" Usagi snapped.

"Usagi, you're the liar, liar, liar!" Chibi-Usa retorted.

"You're the liar, liar, liar, liar, liar!" Usagi snapped.

"Maybe not..." Luna sighed.

"Liar, liar!" the two 'rabbits' fumed. "Liar, liar, liar!"

"Come on, let's get going!" Mamoru scolded.

* * *

At the Supermarket...

"How about some rare, delicious Dark Fruits?" Calaveras declared, the Sisters having set up a stall.

"You there, might you be feeling anxious about your life?" Petz inquired. "For an unhappy person like you, black is perfect! Let's have some Dark Fruits, and we can both be unhappy!"

"Mom!" a child whined, as Petz sweatdropped.

"Don't look at her." the mother pulled him away, the crowd dispersing.

"You fools!" Petz growled, smashing the fruit in her palm.

"Petz, you're not cut out to be a salesperson." Calaveras sighed. "This is how you do it."

"Hi! Everyone in Jubaan Supermarket!" she squealed. "Today, let me introduce you to our mystery fruit. The color is black, but it's absolutely delicious! Black is this year's trendy color. Today, we're offering this fruit at half-price!"

"Here, please give it a try." Avogadora urged.

"You're good." Petz admitted. "I guess that's how you manipulate the men too."

"Oh, that's where you're wrong." Calaveras corrected. "All men worship a pretty woman like me."

"You're going to get hurt one of these days." Petz twitched.

"Here, please try one." Avogadora offered the cut up fruit to the crowd.

"Not bad..." the housewives remarked, taking a bite. "It's pretty good..."

"How does the Dark Power fruit taste?" Petz smirked, the customers having fallen under the Dark Power.

"Once we contaminate this store with Dark Power," Calaveras added. "The Crystal Point will be ruined."

"Now, if you've tasted the fruit," Avogadora jumped onto the stand. "Please start touching all the other merchandise. Smart consumers never buy anything by just looking at it."

At her command, the infected people started moving out, tainting the foodstuffs they touched.

"This is the supermarket that I recommend." Usagi declared. "Great selection, cheap and fresh! The Jubaan Supermarket!"

"Luna, please wait here." she told the cat.

"Here look." she pointed to the sigh at Luna's confused meow. "Pet are not allowed. But I'll get you something good!"

"Yeah, yeah, I understand." Luna muttered.

"Mamo, something smells weird." Chibi-Usa noted as they looked at the rotten meat.

"You're right." Mamoru agreed, sniffing the air. "What? This meat is spoiled!"

"What? No way!" Usagi gasped. "It can't be, but it's true! How can this be? Jubaan Supermarket's selling point is its freshness."

"Anyway, we can't buy ingredients for Chibi-Usa's curry and rice here." Mamoru pointed out.

"That's right." Chibi-Usa agreed and pulled Mamoru off.

"Oh, wait!" Usagi called out.

"Usagi!" Luna pounced in.

"Luna..." Usagi looked at the cat.

"Something's wrong with this store." Luna told her.

"What?" Usagi blinked.

* * *

Meanwhile...

"There are all kinds of meat." Chibi-Usa noted as the two stopped by a road-side meat store. "I don't know which one to get."

"I know..." Mamoru agreed.

"Excuse me..." Rei cut in.

"Rei!" Chibi-Usa beamed.

"Oh, Chibi-Usa and Mamoru." Rei noted. "I thought you guys were with Usagi."

"I don't care about her anymore." Chibi-Usa remarked.

"Don't you think that's a bit much?" Rei scolded. "She might not seem like it, but Usagi has her own way of..."

"Oh, I know!" Chibi-Usa cut her off. "Rei, can you make curry and rice?"

"Oh, thank you for asking me!" Rei replied. "I can whip together all kinds of curry from Indian style and Sri Lankan style to homemade restaurant style."

"Wow! Sounds like an instant curry TV commercial!" Chibi-Usa gushed. "Would you please come to my school tomorrow?"

"What?" Rei blinked.

"Her class is having a curry party." Mamoru explained.

"What?" Rei gasped. "I don't think that's a good idea. Please ask Usagi to go."

"Why? Are you busy?" Chibi-Usa asked.

"Well, it's not that, but.." Rei protested.

"If it's because of me, I won't go." Mamoru interjected.

"No, you're coming with us!" Chibi-Usa insisted. "Okay? Please!"

"Okay." Rei nodded.

* * *

At the Supermarket...

"Luna, what do you mean by weird?" Usagi asked.

"Here, watch very carefully." Luna leapt onto a shelf.

"I can't believe this!" Usagi gaped when the pot melted under Luna's touch.

"No way! What is this?" she exclaimed, seeing the food behind her crumble. "It's awful! I can't make curry and rice like this!"

"This isn't the time to be saying that!" Luna chided.

"Oh, I found it!" Usagi beamed, finding an unscathed carrot. "At least I've secured one carrot!"

* * *

Meanwhile...

"Usagi, I'm sorry..." Rei muttered, the three sitting on a bench. "Somehow, it just ended up like this."

_It's weird._ Chibi-Usa mused. _When I was with Usagi a little while ago, I felt something nice and warm inside._

"Excuse me." she voiced. "I think I'll go get Usagi afterall."

"That's just what I was about to say, too." Rei replied. "Let's go!"

"Okay!" Chibi-Usa nodded, and they returned to the supermarket.

"There!" Chibi-Usa skipped.

"No, you shouldn't!" Rei stopped the child from going further. "I feel something evil!"

"Wait right here!" she warned and dashed into the supermarket.

* * *

At the Supermarket...

"It's almost time to finish up." Petz noted.

" Avogadora, contaminate this place completely." Calaveras instructed.

"Yes, my lady." Avogadora beamed.

"Kiwi, papaya, mango!" she returned to her original form. "Avogadora!"

"Usagi, watch out!" Luna shouted a warning as Avogadora's Dark Power headed towards her.

"Usagi, transform now!" she said after Usagi ducked the dark energy, the carrot crumbling under its destructive power.

"Okay!" Usagi nodded as Luna took off to divert the Droid. "Moon Crystal Power, Make Up!"

"Avo!" Avogadora swatted the leaping cat off.

"Bana Knife!" she whipped out a banana, turning it into a knife.

"Bana Knife!" she declared, preparing to slash the cat.

"Stop right there!" Sailor Moon shouted.

"Avo, avo?" Avogadora looked up.

"A supermarket is the people's fountain of health!" Sailor Moon declared. "The fresh vegetables of the open country and the melt-in-your-mouth-good thinly sliced meat are mad! I'm a Sailor Senshi of love and justice, Sailor Moon! In the name of the moon, I will punish you!"

"Sailor Mars is here, too!" Sailor Mars added, riding in a shopping cart. "In the name of Mars, I will chastise you!"

"Avogado!" Avogadora tossed a avocado bomb at the incoming cart.

"Now, Avogadora!" Calaveras told the Droid.

"Get them in one fell swoop!" Petz added.

"Avogadora!" the Droid twirled around, sending avocado bombs at the Senshi.

"What is this?" Sailor Mars exclaimed, the two dodging the bombs.

"Now, kill them!" Petz instructed.

"Avogadora!" Calaveras added.

"Peeled lychee bomb!" Avogadora removed her earring and tossed it at the Senshi.

"Avo?" the Droid turned when a rose intercepted the earring in mid-flight.

"A supermarket is the people's fountain of health!" Tuxedo Kaman repeated Sailor Moon's words. "The fresh vegetables of the open country and the melt-in-your-mouth-good thinly sliced meat are mad!"

"Wow, that's exactly what I said!" Sailor Moon beamed. "We think alike afterall!"

"This isn't the time to say things like that." Sailor Mars sweatdropped.

"Are you ready?" Tuxedo Kaman leapt off the ledge.

"Avo, avo!" Avogadora met the cane with her knife.

"That won't be necessary." Sailor Mars declared. "I will be your opponent!"

"Burning Mandala!" she released her fire rings.

"My Burning Mandala..." she gaped when Calaveras raised a hand and stopped the rings.

"It's our turn now!" Calaveras remarked.

"Hold it!" Petz cut in. "You should let your older sister handle the good parts!"

"You don't even act like an older sister most of the time." Calaveras retorted.

"What are you saying?" Petz demanded. "You're just my younger sister!"

"Old maid!" Calaveras snapped.

"Enough of your sibling squabbles." Sailor Jupiter chided, appearing on the battlefield.

"Shoot..." Calaveras hissed when Millennial Sailor Mercury manifested with Sailor Venus.

"Just who are you people?" Sailor Jupiter demanded.

"We will find out who you are today, no matter what!" Millennial Sailor Mercury promised.

"We won't let you get away!" Sailor Venus added.

"Avo!" Avogadora continued her fight with Tuxedo Kaman.

"Avo!" the Droid winced when Tuxedo Kaman sent his cane flying into her stomach.

"Plasma Wave!" Solaris Knight's attack blasted the Droid back.

"Now, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kaman told the Moon Senshi.

"Yes!" Sailor Moon nodded. "Moon Princess Elimination!"

"Avo!" Avogadora squealed, the attack washing over her and crumbed into dust, the jewel on her forehead turning black.

"Be thankful that we are retreating this time." Petz growled.

"You'll pay extra for this!" Calaveras swore, the two sister teleporting away.

With the source of the Dark Power gone, the foodstuffs returned to their original states.

* * *

In Mamoru's kitchen...

Usagi was wailing as the result of chopping the onions.

"There's no time to cry." Chibi-Usa chided.

"I'm not crying because I want to!" Usagi protested, before exclaiming in panic when the pot fell over.

"Don't worry; it's okay. I just dropped the pot." she heaved in relief, grabbing the pot just in time.

"Finished!" she declared after making a mess in the kitchen. "Come on, I know it looks bad, but I'm sure it tastes great." and took an experimental bite.

"Delicious!" she beamed after swallowing.

"It's pretty good." Mamoru admitted.

"All right!" Usagi whooped. "I guess I'll be fine tomorrow!"

"Usagi, you did pretty well." Chibi-Usa gave a rare praise.

* * *

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.


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